(MENAFN- AFP) France's embattled Socialist government seized on good economic news showing "solid growth" on Friday after fresh protests over planned labour reforms descended into violence.
At least 170,000 workers and students took to the streets across France on Thursday, as clashes erupted in several cities with scenes of burning cars, stone-throwing protesters and police firing tear gas. Nearly 80 policemen were injured, three seriously.
It was the fourth major protest day in two months, with more demonstrations set for Sunday -- the traditional May Day holiday -- and again on Tuesday, when parliament formally opens debate on the labour law.
In what the government hopes will provide an antidote to anger over the reforms' potential impact on employment and job security, this week has brought some upbeat news on the struggling economy.
Official data showed Friday that France's gross domestic product grew by 0.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, beating expectations of 0.4 percent expansion.
That came on top of figures earlier in the week showing the biggest drop in jobless numbers in nearly 16 years, with the ranks of the unemployed falling by 1.7 percent in March to 3.5 million job seekers.
"Our action is bearing fruit," said Finance Minister Michel Sapin. "It is solid growth that's under way."
But the protests have stymied government efforts to free up the job market by making it easier for companies to hire and fire.
Anger on the streets forced the government to water down the proposed reforms -- only to anger bosses while failing to assuage workers.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls admitted that the government should review its strategy, telling Society magazine, a trendy bi-weekly: "We must be able to analyse our own actions and recognise our mistakes."
Valls said his team had erred in "the timing and manner of presenting the labour law" to the French people.
Young people have been at the forefront of the protest movement, with many young workers stuck on short-term contracts or internships while hoping to secure a permanent job.
While overall joblessness in France has stood at 10 percent for years, some one in four people under 25 are out of work.
- Blame game -
President Francois Hollande has staked his presidency on a pledge to reduce unemployment, and the clock is ticking down on his term in office, with elections little more than a year away.
He is likely to seek re-election despite approval ratings that are currently among the lowest ever for a post-war French leader.
Opponents of the labour reforms, billed as an effort to reduce chronic unemployment, say it will threaten cherished rights and deepen job insecurity for young people.
The wave of protests inspired a new youth movement dubbed "Nuit Debout" (Up All Night) that kicked off on March 31. It has since embraced a range of grievances, spreading from Paris to several other cities.
The event, which has drawn up to 3,000 mainly young people at a time in the capital, has increasingly been marred by violence, with police warning the organisers not to let their peaceful causes be hijacked by troublemakers.
Several dozen young protesters clashed with police in the early hours of Friday in a central Paris square after refusing orders to disperse, police said.
The unrest has sparked a blame game, with the far-left accusing the Socialist government of heavy-handedness while the right says it has been too lax.
But Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve rejected demands for an outright ban on demonstrations from right-wing politicians who argue that France remains under a state of emergency since the November jihadist attacks in Paris.
Student leader William Martinet admitted Friday that organisers could "do more" to prevent protests from spiralling out of control, but said it was a "joint responsibility" of the unions and the security forces.
Prime Minister Valls said the government had "under-estimated how fractured French society is".
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