Student protests spread across France, disrupting 564 schools
Photo: Reuters
Protests by high school students over teacher shortages, long class hours and dilapidated school buildings have spread across France. The French Education Ministry said Friday that student protests or disruptions to classes had occurred at 564 schools across the country. As the protests have increasingly turned violent, the government has closed several schools and taken initiatives to hold classes online.
The Education Ministry said Friday afternoon that protests had taken place or were still ongoing at 564 schools since the start of the day. Earlier Thursday night, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said more than 400 schools and other educational institutions would be closed Friday out of nearly 3,700 high schools across the country.
The protests began in the Paris region last month but quickly spread to different parts of the country. The protests have become increasingly violent over time. Police said around 900 gatherings, blockades and other incidents have occurred so far in connection with the protests. More than 160 schools have been closed. On Thursday, entrances to around 30 university campuses including those in Paris and Marseille were also blocked.
Protesting students set fire to at least two high schools on Thursday. At another school in the southern city of Marseille, gasoline was accidentally sprayed on teachers. At least one vehicle was set on fire in Strasbourg in eastern France. In Toulouse in the southwest, riot police clashed with young people.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told RTL radio on Friday that an “active and violent minority” was taking part in the protests. Authorities are also unsure whether all of them are actually high school students. He said around 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began. About two thirds of them have been held in police custody.
Darmanin said, “We have moved from a protest by high school students to a deterioration of public order. When people attack buses and set fire to schools, it is no longer simply a matter of protest.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called an emergency cabinet meeting Thursday. He instructed ministers to cancel trips and focus on managing the situation. The prime minister’s office said the surge in violence had made it almost impossible to continue normal government educational activities and was putting teachers and students at risk.
Education Minister Geffray is scheduled to meet with student representatives on Friday.
A debate has also emerged over whether there is political influence behind the protests. According to a source close to Prime Minister Lecornu, intelligence agencies told Thursday’s emergency meeting that a section of far-left politicians including members of La France Insoumise (LFI) had initiated the movement. However, LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied the claim to French broadcasters.
According to data from France’s Interior Ministry, around 3,000 lycée students aged 15 to 18 have been detained since the protests began. On Thursday alone, 1,949 people were detained. More than 300 police officers and dozens of firefighters, teachers and students have also been injured.
Source: NBC, Gulf Times
