Mass school protests in France continue to gain momentum. Since the beginning of the week, police have detained over 5000 people, and hundreds of schools have been closed or switched to remote learning.
In France, more than 5000 people have been detained during school protests since the beginning of the week. This was reported by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
According to him, 1747 people were detained on Friday alone, while the day before, 1954 were detained. About 85% of all detainees are minors.
The protest movement has spread across almost the entire country. On Friday, actions took place near 735 schools, although this is about a third less than the day before. Disturbances occurred near 158 educational institutions.
Many schools have been forced to change their operating mode. About 400 secondary schools closed and switched to remote learning, and protests near them were prohibited.
The protests were triggered by students' dissatisfaction with the learning conditions. Students are demanding a review of the class schedule, a reduction in class overcrowding, a resolution to the teacher shortage, and improved learning conditions during the summer heat.
The actions began last week in the suburbs of Paris but quickly spread throughout France. Later, university students joined the protests, blocking about 30 campuses.
In many cities, peaceful actions turned into clashes. According to authorities, protest participants attacked police officers and damaged property. In response, police repeatedly used force to disperse the most aggressive groups.
A video released on Friday showing a group of people knocking a police officer to the ground and beating him sparked widespread public outcry.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that law enforcement intervened in all cases where protests were accompanied by violence or vandalism. He also linked the rapid spread of the protests to activity on social media and stated that political mobilization from the La France Insoumise (LFI) party gave additional momentum to the movement. This statement reflects the minister's position.
At the same time, representatives of the students condemned the violence but called for the protests to continue. Government opponents, in turn, accuse the police and gendarmerie of excessive use of force against protesters.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray intends to hold a meeting with high school students and university students to discuss their demands.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin proposed making parents liable for damages caused by minor participants in the riots.
Leave a comment