FRANCE
FRANCOIS MORI/AP
Paris—Riot police clash with protesters furious about President François Hollande’s proposed reforms that would give employers more flexibility, on May 26. The law would allow for longer workdays, greater freedom for companies to reduce pay and easier layoffs. France’s Socialist government claims this is necessary to reduce high levels of unemployment. Opponents fear the changes would make it easier for employers to neglect workers’ rights. In other parts of the country, dock workers set off smoke bombs and union activists disrupted fuel supplies and nuclear plants, sparking fears of energy shortages in the coming months.