France has been rocked by another night of disturbances in the wake of the Presidential election victory of Nicolas Sarkozy.

In Paris, up to 400 people, many of them students, gathered in the Place de la Bastille to vent their anger, leading to clashes with police when they were moved on. 35 people were arrested.

It was a similar story in Nantes, Lyon, and Marseille - as well as other smaller towns. In Toulouse, the security services resorted to tear gas to disperse the crowd after barricades were set up and ignited.

Trouble initially broke out in towns and cities across France on the night of Sunday to Monday, immediately after the final vote. Several movements of the extreme left have called for action against the election of centre-right politician Sarkozy.

Police say a total of 730 cars were burnt out, 78 officers were injured and 592 people arrested in scenes reminiscent of the riots in 2005, when France's social unrest made itself felt on the streets.

PHOTO CAPTION

Nicolas Sarkozy, France's newly-elected President, leaves the Fouquet's Hotel in Paris, May 7, 2007. (Reuters)

EuroNews