Landesweiter Protesttag: Frankreich erwartet neuen Höhepunkt der Schülerproteste

Frankreich prepares for another major nationwide student protest on Tuesday, marking a new high point in recent days of nationwide demonstrations demanding better school facilities and learning conditions. These protests have been ongoing for a week, calling for rallies and demonstrations across the country. In Paris, a demonstration is scheduled for 14:00 at Place de la République, with over 200 gymnasiums in the Paris metropolitan area set to close beforehand.

Similar gatherings are planned in other major cities including Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes, and Strasbourg. Support is coming from several major education unions, which are calling for participation in the actions and, in some cases, for a strike. This could broaden the protest beyond the student movement.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has hinted at improvements, promising ministers to initiate concrete upgrades to schools across the country and heed the justified concerns of the students. However, Monday saw another wave of protests, with 589 schools affected. The Interior Ministry reported 984 arrests, and 65 police officers were injured.

Since the protests began a week ago, 5,060 people have been arrested, 87 percent of them minors. Property damage estimated at several million euros has been caused by the unrest, and efforts are being made to involve the parents of juvenile offenders in compensating for the damages. Police grenades have caused injury, including a case where a 15-year-old's hand was severed by a police grenade fired into a group of demonstrating students.

The General Inspection of the Police is investigating the use of a tear-gas grenade. This case could further fuel the already violent nature of the protests. With previous instances of alleged police violence against young people, the deployment of officers against the youth is increasingly facing criticism. Human rights organization Amnesty International has described the use of force against the students as disproportionate, urging for the protection of the minors rather than attacking them.

Deescalation is needed, as these are children who should be shielded from the perpetrators' aggression. The recent violent scenes have raised concerns, with Amnesty International citing the need for deescalation. France, just seven months before presidential elections, finds itself unprepared for such drastic demonstrations. The government, already grappling with a budget austerity plan, now aims to prevent the protests from expanding beyond their current focus on schools to other areas, such as universities.

The rare and outspoken leader of France's left-wing party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has accused the police of power abuse, noting that the number of arrests has already surpassed those during the May 1968 student revolt.