French students are set to stage fresh nationwide protests on Tuesday in support of their demands for better classroom conditions, which have been ongoing for weeks. The protests, backed by unions and the far-left opposition France Unbowed party, will include a march through Paris and other cities. This comes after demonstrations on Thursday that saw over 70,000 people take to the streets across France, with about 500 people arrested.
The student protest movement, which started in late September, has seen students block access to high schools by piling up dumpsters and other obstacles, leading to occasional clashes with police. On Monday, only 130 of France's 3,700 lycees were closed, according to the education ministry. However, the ministry stated that while the number of school closures is falling, the violence is intensifying.
In a separate incident, a 14-year-old was arrested near Marseille on Monday after a middle school headmaster and a teacher were shot with a hunting rifle, wounding both. The education ministry reported that eight members of teaching staff were injured on Monday, mostly in the Paris region and cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, in relation to the protests.
Students say they are determined to press the government to address their grievances, including too many absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, overcrowded class schedules, and other issues. A 19-year-old graphic design student in Paris, Leo, said that students aren't being heard enough and are disturbed by the level of repression. Rights groups and students have accused the police of a disproportionate use of force.
Several police officers and teachers have been hurt during the protests, and authorities have reported that fireworks fired through a tube injured two school workers in Reims, one school worker in a Paris suburb, and a police officer outside a school in Marseille. President Emmanuel Macron urged restraint from protesters on Monday, saying that the pupils' grievances would take time to address.
The government has promised to deploy some 3,000 substitute teachers to replace absent staff at the 114 worst-affected high schools, with a government spokeswoman stating that they had started to be assigned. However, the national students' union has dismissed the government's move as "crumbs" and is demanding a 10 billion-euro boost for lycees.
Some parents and students have expressed concerns about the classes being missed due to the protests, with a few worried that the children are being used as pawns by opposition political parties. Tuesday's demonstrations supporting the students will be followed on Saturday by wider public rallies against the rising cost of living, with some students hoping that the two events will converge.
Key points
- Over 6,800 people, largely minors, have been taken into police custody over the course of the protests.
- The protests have resulted in injuries to students, teachers, and police officers.
- The government has deployed substitute teachers to affected schools, but the national students' union is demanding more significant action.
