France is braced for major protests on Tuesday, after organisers called for a nationwide day of action in support of students demanding more investment in education. It comes after a week of demonstrations, which saw students blockading hundreds of schools, at least 190 students injured, and more than 5,000 people arrested. One student had his hand blown off during a confrontation on Monday, while another was reportedly struck in the head by a tear gas grenade last week. France’s prime minister said the government had announced measures to address their demands, but the Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), a major organiser of the protests, said the government had offered “nothing concrete”.
The organisation called on people to join their mobilisation on Tuesday in the face of “this political deadlock and what we describe as unprecedented repression of the movement”. Some other organisations have also shown their support for the students, with the teachers’ union SNES-FSU urging its members to join Tuesday’s protest. The radical-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon described the protests as the “most powerful high school and university student youth movement” since 1968 – a year of major unrest, which saw millions of workers go on strike. The wave of demonstrations began in September in Paris and has spread across the country, with students protesting over a range of issues, including overcrowded classrooms, run-down buildings, and a lack of teachers.
The protests were started by high school students, who were later joined by university students. On Sunday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a series of measures to “address the difficulties faced by secondary school students and education staff”, promising “visible changes” in schools. However, he also said: “We will make no concessions to violence. We stand by students and staff who have been assaulted, as well as police officers and gendarmes who have been injured.” The unrest has not only seen schools blockaded, but also rubbish bins set on fire.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools had been “burned and ransacked” since the start of the protests. Violent clashes between students and the police have led to some serious injuries throughout the course of the protests so far. On Monday, a 15-year-old boy’s hand was blown off during a confrontation near a school in the northern city of Lens. The student was transferred to a nearby hospital and his injury is not life-threatening, according to officials.
Last week, Eden, 14, was badly hurt in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône after reportedly being struck on the head by a tear gas grenade. The student suffered “a double jaw fracture” and had to undergo “extremely major surgery”, according to his lawyer. Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Eden’s mother said her heart was “shattered”. “It’s shameful, it’s appalling, it’s violent, it’s horrific,” French media outlet BFMTV reported her as saying.
“This should not happen. They are dealing with children who are asking for better conditions in which to study.” Among the 5,060 people arrested since the start of the movement, 87% were minors and 13% were adults, according to France’s justice ministry, external. Fourteen people have reportedly been placed in pre-trial detention, while 1,802 people are facing prosecution, including 319 adults and 1,483 minors. The USL has accused police of using excessive force against the protesters.
Responding to this allegation last week, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the demonstrations had been policed in “an extremely proportionate manner”. While France’s next presidential election is still months away, the protests and the response by French authorities have been heavily politicised. The government and hard-right politicians have blamed the hard left for fuelling the protests. Lecornu said LFI was being “irresponsible” in calling for the movement to expand.
The leader of the hard-right National Rally, Marine Le Pen, has also criticised the left for its response. “This is no longer about high school student protests. It is about riots organised by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise,” she said, calling for a new anti-rioting law to be passed. Meanwhile Mélenchon, the LFI’s party’s presidential candidate, has been blaming the police for “abuses of power”, calling on people to take to the streets to “protect the youth demonstrations”.
The left-wing mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, condemned the “unacceptable violence” in his city. While young people were “legitimately concerned” about their future and public services, they must express themselves calmly, he said. Riot police clash with students as education protests rage in France School protests send shivers down French government’s spine Teenager’s hand blown off during confrontation between France school protesters and police Watch: Why students in France are protesting
