High school students across France launched a fresh day of protests on Thursday, despite government attempts to ease the crisis, which has rocked the country for days.
Students have blocked entrances to hundreds of high schools across the country since late September, and protests have on occasion spiralled into violent clashes with riot police.
Student union leaders urged fresh mobilisation across France Thursday, with a rally planned in the capital, Paris, and national education unions calling a general strike in support.
While many rallies have been peaceful, some demonstrators have started fires, destroyed bus shelters or clashed with riot police — with unions, rights groups and the children accusing police of using disproportionate force.
In a televised address Wednesday evening, the prime minister Sebastien Lecornu attempted to calm tensions, promising a plan to respond to the crisis by the end of October.
Although Lecornu denied that security forces have “orders to confront” the young people, many students were unconvinced.
Outside one high school in Rennes, around 60 students had already gathered early Thursday.
Hanaa, an 18-year-old student, told AFP she was “disappointed and unconvinced” by Lecornu’s remarks.
“We expected more from him,” agreed fellow student Salyna, 17, who said they were also disappointed the government response would not be announced until the end of the month.
“This is an urgent situation”.
Student ‘dialogue’
Suzanne Nijdam, president of university student association FAGE, said they did not have “even the crumbs of an agreement” after a meeting with the higher education minister Philippe Baptiste.
She called for protests to continue outside high schools and government administrative offices Thursday, with “larger-scale demonstrations next week”.
As the government tried to adopt a conciliatory tone, education minister Edouard Geffray was to visit a high school in Reims and take part in a “dialogue” with students.
And a fresh meeting between the three main student associations with Geffray and Baptiste was planned for Thursday afternoon.
The students have asked for a direct meeting with Lecornu to present what they say are costed proposals to address their demands.
Student demonstrators — many attending high schools called lycees for children aged between 15 and 18 years old — have complained of missing teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.
Classes were partially or completely suspended in 375 schools across the country on Thursday morning, according to the education ministry.
At a high school in Paris, AFP saw adult protesters forming a human chain with their arms between police and protesting teenagers, who huddled together carrying backpacks and placards.
Access to the school had been blockaded with bins and railings, and AFP saw some scuffles between riot police and protesters.
In the southern city of Toulouse, high school protesters waved the French flag and placards, while graffiti on a school wall read: “The police are cracking down on France’s children”.
Hundreds of students, police and teaching staff have been injured since the protests began, and more than 6,500 people — mostly minors — have been arrested.
A 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday after police fired a stun grenade, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told radio broadcaster RTL early Wednesday that he had suspended the police use of stun grenades in response.
Police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct.
The unrest has erupted with just months to go before the 2027 election to choose a successor to centrist President Emmanuel Macron, with far-right veteran candidate Marine Le Pen riding high in the polls despite a graft conviction.
AFP