French Students Protest Amidst Police Crackdown and Educational System Concerns
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, tens of thousands of students and university students have taken to the streets across France. Unions and teachers have joined high school students who have been protesting for days, demanding improved educational conditions amidst what they describe as violent confrontations.
The French Ministry of Interior claimed that by early Tuesday, 86,000 people had participated in nationwide demonstrations. However, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) union estimated this figure to be 260,000.
Since late September, students have been blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools, citing issues such as teacher shortages, overly demanding curricula, dilapidated classrooms, and buildings unable to withstand rising temperatures.
While many protests have remained peaceful, some demonstrators have engaged in arson, destruction of bus stops, and clashes with riot police. Police have responded with batons, tear gas, and crowd-control projectiles.
The government has acknowledged that 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured since the movement began. Unions, human rights groups, and students have accused security forces of excessive force and a disproportionate use of violence.
On Monday, a 15-year-old in the northern city of Lens lost an arm after being struck by a stun grenade fired by riot police. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced late Monday that police have launched 10 internal investigations into allegations of police violence since the protests commenced.
According to the Ministry of Education, 24 schools have been set ablaze or vandalized since the start of the movement. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, with 87 percent being minors.
The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that 85 educational staff members have also been injured. The French government is reportedly seeking to discredit the legitimacy of the student protests by proposing legislation to classify these actions as property destruction and hold demonstrators liable for repair costs.
