French PM says violence will not be tolerated in school protests

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu firmly stated on Tuesday that violence has no place in school protests as hundreds of thousands of students nationwide demonstrated against the state of their schools. He emphasized that acts such as setting schools ablaze or attacking teachers do not contribute to resolving the issues at hand.

Lecornu denied allegations that the government had ordered police repression against demonstrators, insisting that many have been arrested and dozens wounded during the protests. The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party and some human rights groups have criticized the police's response as disproportionate, particularly towards minors involved in the demonstrations.

Lecornu acknowledged that accidents can occur, but blamed the LFI for attempting to destabilize the country in the lead-up to the 2027 presidential election. In a bid to address the situation, Lecornu announced that formal lessons in high schools would be suspended for the remainder of the week, allowing school authorities, educators, and students to engage in "internal democracy" and discuss the issues specific to their respective institutions.