Hundreds of Chadian schoolchildren shouting anti-French slogans demonstrated in the capital N?Djamena yesterday to protest against an attempt by a French group to fly children out of the country to Europe.

The protesters, aged between 14 and 18 and wearing their school uniforms, yelled slogans outside the French embassy and school and threw stones at vehicles driven by white foreigners or carrying diplomatic plates. Police firing tear gas moved in to disperse them from outside the embassy building.

The young demonstrators also threatened foreign journalists, shouting ?Whites, children snatchers!?. Several protests have taken place in Chad since authorities last month arrested a group of French humanitarian activists accused of trying to fly 103 African children aged 1-10 to Europe without authorisation.

Six French nationals face trial on fraud and abduction charges and could be sentenced to forced labour terms if convicted. The case has strained relations between France and its former colony. Popular outrage in Chad has increased since French President Nicolas Sarkozy intervened this month to obtain the release of three French journalists and four Spanish flight attendants who had been detained over the affair.