To begin with, it's important to note that one should not overstate any parallels between the French labor market and American labor market. France has long adopted socialist-style labor policies, which have effectively meant fewer hours of work for French employees (by as much as 28%). But the idea here than young people are the ones protesting these laws--and drawing substantial media and political attention and even winning important concessions--is encouraging for any who think that youth should be encouraged to live in democracies not just in some far-off future, but also in the here and now...
The problem may be that what the French legislature is proposing is actually what's best for young people and the country as a whole afterall, even if a million students are protesting in the street. The idea here is that the labor reform laws would allow employers to have much more fluidity in hiring and firing young workers within the first year or two of their employment based on their effectiveness, and that no longer will low-performing workers be sheltered by rigid tenure-type systems. Does this sound familiar within the context of the present day American education reform debate? Without coming down on one side or another, see if you can note any similarities between the French controversy and this one.