French minister condemns anti-Sarkozy violence

PARIS, May 9 (Reuters) Violent protests against Nicolas Sarkozy's election as president took place for a third night, the French interior minister said today, with around 200 cars torched and some 80 people arrested.

''For the last three days, since the night of the election, we have had an unacceptable situation,'' said Interior Minister Francois Baroin, blaming the far-left for the violence.

Police reported trouble in a number of places overnight, including around Paris's Bastille Square which has been the epicentre of anti-Sarkozy violence in the French capital since Sunday's presidential vote.

''This past night around 200 vehicles were torched and there were slightly more than 80 arrests. It is clearly politically motivated and linked to the extreme left,'' Baroin told France Info radio.

''The electorate has spoken, we have seen a remarkably vigorous democracy in our country. Changes of mood should be reflected at the ballot box and not in the street.'' Between 200-300 demonstrators blocked Paris's Bastille Square late Tuesday chanting: ''Fascist Sarko! The people will have your skin''. Local residents said large numbers of police sealed off the area and took around two hours to restore order.

There was also violence in and around the southeastern city of Lyon, where an office belonging to Sarkozy's UMP party was set ablaze by youths throwing Molotov cocktails.

French radio reported that arsonists had also set fire to an infant school in a Paris suburb.

Socialist party leaders have called for calm, saying such violence would only boost support for the UMP ahead of next month's parliamentary election.

Sarkozy has a reputation as a law-and-order hardliner, making him a hate figure for the left. The Socialist party's presidential candidate Segolene Royal warned last week there would be violence if he won Sunday's election.

The UMP accused her of looking to incite trouble.

REUTERS SKB BD1434