Protesters invade French economic daily's offices

PARIS, Apr 18 (Reuters) At least 100 people invaded the offices of French economic newspaper La Tribune for almost three hours today to protest against job insecurity.

Students, unemployed people and freelancers working in the entertainment industry took over the offices of the daily, put up posters saying 'We are not for sale', and hindered production of tomorrow's edition.

They said they wanted the withdrawal of a law on the equality of opportunity, which had included the controversial CPE youth job contract before the government scrapped that part of the bill.

They also demanded the withdrawal of another job contract called the CNE, which made it easier for very small firms to hire and fire workers and was introduced last year.

The protesters said they had chosen an economic daily because it promoted liberal ideas and asked the paper to print a statement -- a demand rejected by the paper's management.

''Here they construct measures and create the mental environment which promotes inequality and social violence,'' the protesters' organisers said in a statement.

The protesters left peacefully after police entered the building.

While production of the first edition of the newspaper might be disrupted, the second and third editions were expected to be published on schedule.

REUTERS PG PM0058