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French police, young protesters clash violently in central Paris

PARIS, April 27 (KUNA) -- French riot police clashed with young protesters in central Paris Thursday after mostly student demonstrations against Franceآ’s two presidential election candidates turned violent, police and media sources said.
Around two dozen French high-schools, mainly in the 11th and 12th districts of the capital were blocked by protests earlier in the day, before about 2,000 mainly student protesters headed for the Bastille area of the city.
About 500 young people broke away from the cortege and attacked police and went on the rampage, breaking shop windows and damaging other property, "France 24" television said.
It is the second such violent protest since last Sunday when Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist National Front leader Marine Le Pen qualified for a run-off race for the presidency on May 7.
The protesters, mainly high-school youths, shouted and carried slogan saying they did not want either of the candidates in the final round.
Police said they had fired tear gas to disperse the rioters and had made a number of arrests.
Traditionally, radical and anarchist groups try to infiltrate relatively orderly protests here and provoke clashes and running-battles with riot police. (End) jk.rk