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Riot police clash with students as education protests rage in France with tear gas used in Paris suburbs Strasbourg Marseille and Rennes where protesters set fires to bins fences and other objects. The French Interior Ministry reported that 1027 schools saw disruptions on Thursday including 222 blockades while more than 400 high schools were ordered closed on Friday. Education Minister Edouard Geffray has said 65 education staff including 40 headteachers have been injured since the protests began.
The demonstrations that began in the Paris region last week have rapidly spread with students complaining of overcrowded classrooms lacking basic facilities and frequent teacher absences. A 15-year-old student named Kesia told Reuters “We are 35 per class we don’t have enough chairs in classrooms the one hour lunch break (is too short) for everyone to get food.” One banner at Rosa Parks High School read “We’re skipping lessons so we can teach you one” according to The New York Times.
According to the Justice Ministry nearly 2000 people have been taken into custody since the movement started with 90 percent of them minors. Government figures show roughly 400 police officers injured along with more than 230 students and school employees while an investigation has been opened into an incident in which a 14-year-old boy sustained serious facial injuries after an alleged clash with officers. The Guardian reported that the boy’s family lawyer said he thought he was “going to die.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting as the government described some of the unrest as urban violence even as it acknowledged legitimate grievances over school conditions. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told RTL radio that parents should pay for damages caused by their children during the protests. The demonstrations coincide with public sector strikes over planned budget cuts increasing pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s administration ahead of next year’s elections Reuters reported.
Students have accused law enforcement of excessive force with videos showing tear gas canisters fired at close range in some locations. University students have joined some of the blockades at high schools with around 30 campuses affected according to Al Jazeera. The secondary school students’ union has called for a national day of protest on October 6 to sustain the movement.
More than 100 high schools have sustained severe damage from fires and vandalism during the week-long action with blazes reported at institutions in Nantes Rouen and the Paris area. Firefighters have been called out repeatedly to tackle the incidents that often began with burning rubbish bins. Officials have urged parents to prevent their children from joining the demonstrations to prevent further injuries or escalation.
