Riot police in France have used tear gas to disperse crowds of students and activists blockading high schools, as a nationwide wave of demonstrations demanding government action on educational needs intensified.
Protests began Tuesday morning in cities including Marseille, Nantes, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Rennes. While many demonstrators held signs reading “they don’t really care about us” and “survive or study,” unrest broke out in several locations. Reports indicate that protesters lit fires in the streets and threw projectiles at officers in Strasbourg, Lyon, and Rennes.
The unrest, which started two weeks ago in the disadvantaged suburbs of Paris, has spread across the country. Government officials have characterized the movement as urban violence, prompting the deployment of riot squads to various rallies. Nearly 2,000 high schools have been blockaded or forced to close for the day, according to the High School Students Union.
Tensions reached a critical point on Monday when a 15-year-old boy lost his hand and part of his arm during clashes in northern France. The newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the teenager sustained the injuries after picking up a police grenade. Government sources stated that between 200 and 250 protesters had thrown objects at law enforcement during the incident.
Hugo Vetzel, a recent high school graduate in Strasbourg preparing for university, criticized the state’s response. “When the answer is violence, it means democracy is no longer working,” Vetzel said. “There is such a gap between the elites and us.”
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has directed ministers to respond to student demands, which include replacing inadequately skilled teachers, extending lunch breaks, and altering the length of the school day. Lecornu also announced plans to repair aging school campuses and has set an end-of-October deadline for ministers to submit proposals.
The Ministry of Interior reported that 6,100 individuals have been arrested since the protests began, with the majority being under the age of 18. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that over 1,800 people will face prosecution, including 1,483 minors. According to Lecornu, at least 215 teenagers and 715 police officers have been injured during the demonstrations.
Tear gas in schools? This feels like a heavy-handed response to valid concerns about underfunding.
The number of minors arrested is truly alarming. We need dialogue, not escalation.