French NBA star Wembanyama expresses support for student protests
Wembanyama said he supports students speaking out against systemic inequalities, after Interior Ministry figures said 71,500 joined Thursday’s demonstrations.
- Victor Wembanyama, France's basketball star, voiced support on Thursday for French teenagers protesting school conditions, telling a press conference he supports the fight against "systemic inequalities."
- Widespread anxiety over state education triggered the protests last month in Paris suburbs, where anger regarding teacher absences and poor facilities grew into a national movement opposing inequality and weak public spending.
- "It's not something that's completely unfamiliar to me," Wembanyama said, noting he attended high school in Nanterre; he previously replied "I would love to" on Instagram when asked to join the blockades.
- On Thursday, the Interior Ministry reported 71,500 people joined demonstrations, including 24,500 in the main Paris march centered at the Place de la Bastille as participants demand better conditions.
- Half of France's 3,700 high schools were shut or partially closed as a result of the protests, while the Interior Ministry cited at least 260,000 marchers on Tuesday; inter-union groups claimed 450,000 participated.
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31 Articles
Tens of thousands of students are demonstrating in France because of injustices in the education system. There are violent clashes. France's basketball superstar Victor Wembanyama is now taking a stand.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, educated in Nanterre when he was a teenager, said at a press conference "hear" the demands of the students and "hope that the people who are up there will do the same".
'These Are Systemic Inequalities' | Why Wembanyama Supports Student Protesters in France
French Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is showing solidarity with a student-led movement that is demanding increased funding for schools amid a violent crackdown by police.
Victor Wembanyama testified to his support for the French high school movement from San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, where he is preparing for the next NBA season, which starts on October 20th. "I hear them and I support them. And I hope that the people who are up there or up there will do the same," said the French basketball player.
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