'Up All Night' protest turns violent in Paris

French youth movement "Nuit Debout" or "Up All Night", which has lasted three weeks in Paris, turned violent over the weekend after fresh stand-offs between protesters and riot police emerged during the nocturnal sit-in.

Tensions were raised overnight Friday after police clashed with hundreds of young demonstrators in Paris' vast square La Place de La Republique who were hurling projectiles and destroying five police vehicles with one completely torched.

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds in the Republic square where they gathered to protest French government's reform of the labor code.

Twelve people were placed into custody and they "will be objects of appropriate legal proceedings," according to Paris prefecture.

In a statement, the prefecture noted that there were "renewed and escalated acts of violence during 'Up All Night' ... despite numerous warnings to organizers and participants."

No casualties have been reported, according to the communique.

Violent acts on the sidelines of nocturnal youth protests became common in the French capital where, according to local reports, fringe demonstrators targeted police officers, cars and public offices.

Last week, 300 protesters destroyed shopfronts and vehicles in the French capital. Thirty-five people have been placed into custody since the start of the movement in March 31.

Speaking to France Info radio in a recent interview, the head of the governing Socialist Party, Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, warned of risks of escalating violence in the youth sleepless nights movement.

"We can discuss or have dialogue, but if it turns violent, we can not tolerate," he said.

Since the end of March, hundreds of youths have been occupying the Republic square every evening for a spontaneous nocturnal sit-in to express their objection to the government's labor reforms seen as threatening workers' rights.

But the protest has expanded onto other French cities for further causes including migrant rights and anti-globlization.

Source: XINHUA