AROUND 400 FRENCH SCHOOLS TO CLOSE AMID VIOLENT STUDENT PROTESTS
Read Time:2 Minute, 36 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
Around 400 schools and educational institutions across France are expected to remain closed on Friday as authorities seek to contain a wave of violent student protests that has spread across the country.
The demonstrations, which began in the Paris region last month over deteriorating school facilities and teacher shortages, have expanded to several cities and become increasingly violent.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray told France 2 that slightly more than 400 schools and other educational establishments would be closed on Friday.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began.
“There is an active and violent minority participating in the protests. We’re not entirely sure that they are even high school students themselves,” Darmanin told RTL radio.
The protests have seen schools and vehicles set on fire, including a fire engine.
In Toulouse, protesters reportedly set rubbish bins alight outside Lycee Deodat-de-Severac on Friday, while police made several arrests as clashes continued.
Some of the worst violence was recorded on Thursday in Marseille, France’s second-largest city, where fires were started at at least two high schools.
At Victor Hugo High School, two teachers were accidentally splashed with petrol, while protesters at the nearby Saint-Exupery school reportedly forced firefighters from their vehicle before setting it ablaze. Marseille’s public transport system was subsequently suspended after staff were injured during the clashes.
In Nantes, the Nelson Mandela High School was evacuated after a fire broke out. Deputy Mayor Olivier Chateau said the blaze was brought under control and no injuries were reported.
Violence was also reported at Baggio High School in Lille, where riot police were deployed amid street fires and clashes. A traffic light was reportedly pulled down during the unrest.
Other incidents were recorded in Le Havre, where a school facade was damaged by fire; Strasbourg, where at least one vehicle was reportedly set ablaze; and Toulouse, where riot police clashed with young protesters.
In the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, large crowds gathered in front of police lines, with one student holding a sign that read: “Can we explain ourselves without being teargassed?”
The unrest came shortly after ministers announced unpopular spending cuts as part of the proposed 2027 budget.
According to a source close to the French Prime Minister cited by Reuters, intelligence agencies told ministers that hard-left political groups had helped initiate the protest campaign. The source specifically pointed to France Unbowed (LFI) and groups associated with the political left.
LFI MP Louis Boyard rejected the allegation, saying the party had consistently supported non-violent demonstrations. He accused the government of escalating tensions by criticising and repressing high school students.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting on Thursday as the government sought to respond to the escalating unrest.
Geffray is expected to meet with education unions, parent associations and student representatives on Friday.
Students have accused police of using heavy-handed tactics, including tear gas. While the government has condemned the violence during some demonstrations, it has also acknowledged the challenges facing schools and said they need to be addressed.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0