Paris - Groups of angry French people protesting against poverty yesterday occupied 13 dole centres as a national campaign by the unemployed went into its third week.
Though the number of dole centres occupied remains small - there are a total 636 countrywide - the protest by hundreds of unemployed people has captured headlines in France in the last week, where the plight of the poor has contrasted with the mood of seasonal festivities and fun.
It is also the first time since the early 1980s that the unemployed, banded together in action committees, have pieced together a national protest.
Of the 13 dole centres occupied, eight are in the Marseille area. Many of the centres that distribute unemployment benefits, known by the acronym of ASSEDIC, remained closed yesterday, either to avoid new occupations or because of New Year holidays, officials said.