French Protest Immigration Policy

Thousands of protesters across France decried the new immigration policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy, which include sending Roma to Eastern Europe, calling the crackdown "inhumane" and "repression." Sarkozy is hoping the strategy will boost his popularity as 2012 elections loom, perhaps distracting the public from tough spending and pension cutbacks. And he says the measures will reduce crime. Demonstrators also protested a rule that revokes French nationality for immigrants who've been found guilty of attacking police. About 12,000 marched through Paris Saturday, and tens of thousands marched in about 130 other cities, including Marseilles, Lyons, and Bordeaux.