In short
- France’s interior ministry said more than 250,000 demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday and that 891 high schools, almost a quarter of all lycées, were disrupted.
- Students’ unions put Tuesday’s turnout at 450,000 and said 1,800 high schools were blockaded on what protesters called “Act Three” of their movement.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 215 students, 85 staff and 715 police officers had been hurt since the protests began.
- The French interior ministry said 6,547 people had been stopped or arrested since 28 September.
- One police officer who fired a tear-gas grenade at a high-school student at Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, north-west of Paris, has been charged by prosecutors with “violence… resulting in mutilation or permanent disability”.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated across France on Tuesday in a school protest movement that has widened to parents, university students and unions, with police firing tear gas in Paris and Marseille and using water cannon in Rennes. The government said more than 250,000 people took to the streets.
How many schools were affected?
France’s interior ministry said 891 high schools were disrupted on Tuesday, almost a quarter of all lycées. Students’ unions said the number of blockaded high schools was 1,800 on what protesters dubbed “Act Three” of their movement, and put the turnout at 450,000.
What happened in Marseille and other cities?
In Marseille, thousands of demonstrators moved around the city, stopping to chant before moving on as police changed direction. A group of masked protesters grabbed bollards and bins and tried to barricade themselves off from police; riot officers fired tear gas and the protesters dispersed. Police also clashed with demonstrators in Lyon. Elsewhere, mass street protests have drawn large crowds, among them Imran Khan supporters who marched on Islamabad to demand his release.
What have students and families said?
“Most of us aren’t violent,” said Alissa, a student in Marseille. “We’re going to the streets because they’ve closed our schools… schools are falling apart.”
Alissa’s friend Sacha said ceilings in Marseille’s schools were leaking and conditions were generally poor, “so we can’t really work a lot of time”. “We will keep doing this until good measures are taken,” he added. In Paris, Alain, a former teacher in his 70s, said he and his wife Michèle had joined the march as “the grandparents of three students who are all mobilised”.
How many people have been hurt or detained?
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the earlier violence and said that since the protests began 215 students and 85 staff had been hurt, as well as 715 police officers. Late on Tuesday, the interior ministry said 6,547 people had been stopped or arrested since 28 September.
Which police actions are under investigation?
France’s IGPN police inspectorate has been investigating a number of cases over allegations of “disproportionate force”. One officer who fired a tear-gas grenade at a high-school student at Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, north-west of Paris, has been charged with “violence… resulting in mutilation or permanent disability”. Eden, 14, was hit in the face while blockading a lycée; his lawyer said he suffered a fractured jaw and lost four lower teeth. On Monday, a 15-year-old’s hand was torn off after an anti-encirclement grenade was fired near a school in Lens; authorities say he picked up the grenade, while students allege he was hit directly.
What has the government offered, and what comes next?
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said he had appealed for dialogue rather than school blockades and complained that “ultra-violent elements infiltrated the high-school student movements”. A website for students to express grievances and an afternoon of internal discussion in schools on Friday have made little impression so far. In parliament, Lecornu accused the radical-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of seeking to “sow chaos” ahead of presidential elections in seven months. President Emmanuel Macron was due to chair a meeting with ministers at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday evening. The CGT union said further protests involving school and university students are planned for Thursday.
Where did the protests begin?
The movement began in mid-September with local anger in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis over overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teaching staff and dilapidated school buildings, and has since spread across France and to some universities.
Frequently asked questions
How many people joined the school protests in France?
France’s interior ministry said more than 250,000 people demonstrated on Tuesday, while students’ unions put the figure at 450,000.
Why are French high-school students protesting?
The movement began in mid-September in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis over overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teaching staff and dilapidated school buildings. Demonstrators have also called for more resources for schools and less repression from police.
How many people have been arrested during the protests?
The interior ministry said 6,547 people had been stopped or arrested since 28 September.
What happened to the student injured at Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône?
One police officer who fired a tear-gas grenade at a high-school student at Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, north-west of Paris, has been charged with “violence… resulting in mutilation or permanent disability”. Eden, 14, was hit in the face while blockading a lycée, and his lawyer said he suffered a fractured jaw and lost four lower teeth.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)