School Protests Spill Into Unrest
Police reported more than 1,900 arrests and 305 injured officers as unrest spread to 560 schools and university students joined in.
- Protests affecting 560 schools continued across France on Friday, marking rapid escalation since unrest began last week in the Paris region, with students barricading school gates and demonstrating with placards.
- High schoolers are expressing broad grievances, primarily citing under-resourced schools with dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff. Students also complain that school days beginning at 8 a.m. are too tiring and the university entrance system too complicated.
- Police made more than 1,900 arrests on Thursday, when 305 officers were injured using tear gas and batons to disperse crowds. Police labeled some participants "criminals and vandals" rather than students voicing legitimate demands.
- Candidates vying to succeed President Emmanuel Macron are seizing on the unrest, sharpening political battle lines. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon decried police actions as "savagery," while Conservative Edouard Philippe condemned those who "break things, burn things, or assault people."
- Macron's government proposed a budget this week with 65.5 billion euros set aside for schools next year. Still, some protesters' injuries have led to suspicions that police fired crowd-control projectiles, heightening national tensions.
15 Articles
15 Articles
School protests spill into unrest
PARIS (AP): Thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries, schools set on fire in France. When the summer vacation ended and the new term started just a month ago, few could have imagined that the academic year would so quickly descend into nationwide student protests – and turmoil. In a country beset by crises – both foreign and domestic – the eruption and rapid spread of protests by unhappy teenage high schoolers caught France off guard.
In France, more than 500 schools were closed due to student protests - The Independent <p>In France, thousands of people were arrested and more than 500 schools closed amid the protests. Dozens of teachers have been attacked and injured Adolescents.</p>
France protests: Why thousands of high school students are protesting across the country
France is witnessing nationwide student protests as high schoolers raise concerns over under-resourced schools, demanding schedules and the university entrance system. The unrest has also led to clashes with police, arrests and a growing political debate ahead of the presidential race.
France student protests spread nationwide as school unrest turns political
Student protests over school conditions and admissions have spread across France, triggering clashes with police. The unrest has turned education into an election flashpoint and exposed deeper anxieties about inequality in schools.
High school student protests spread across France as tensions escalate
More than 1,000 schools, nearly one in four nationwide, joined the protest on Thursday. Tensions have risen as the movement has spread, with confrontations between students and law enforcement at times turning violent.
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