French police fired tear gas at students outside a barricaded high school in northeastern Paris on Thursday as nationwide protests over education funding and school conditions showed no sign of ending.
Dozens of students gathered outside the Hélène Boucher Lycée and used rubbish bins to create barricades before riot police moved in to disperse the crowd. The school has become one of the main flashpoints of the growing protest movement, with hundreds of schools disrupted across France.
The demonstrations began in September, with students demanding increased funding for public education, improved school facilities and more teachers. Protesters have highlighted deteriorating buildings, staff shortages and other problems affecting learning conditions.
According to France’s Education Ministry, 375 schools were either fully or partially closed on Thursday. The figure was lower than earlier in the week, but protests and planned demonstrations continued in several cities.
The Interior Ministry said more than 6,600 arrests have been made since the protests began, with most of those involved reportedly under the age of 18. The scale of the demonstrations has placed increasing pressure on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.
Lecornu addressed the nation on Wednesday, condemning violence, attacks on students and school staff, damage to schools and injuries involving police officers and protesters. He has promised that the government will review the students’ demands and present proposals by the end of October, including measures concerning school buildings and teacher shortages.
Tensions have also intensified over the use of police force. The government suspended the use of stun grenades in the student protests following an incident in which a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a clash with riot police. Several other teenagers have suffered serious injuries during the unrest, prompting investigations into police conduct.
Despite the government’s promises, student protesters say they want concrete action rather than further assurances. Demonstrations are expected to continue, with at least a dozen rallies planned across France.
The unrest has also spread beyond France, with student protests reported in Belgium over education funding, teacher shortages and class sizes. Belgian authorities have responded with additional security measures following clashes and arrests.
As the protests enter their third week, pressure continues to mount on France’s government to address concerns over the state of public education while maintaining public order and protecting students, teachers and police officers.
Swifteradio.com
