'The French government's condescension toward high school students shows a refusal to take them seriously as citizens'

The French government has faced criticism for its handling of high school student protests demanding better education funding and conditions. According to Le Monde English, sociologist Vincent Tiberj noted that the government initially treated the protests as if they were urban riots rather than engaging in dialogue with the students.

The protests, which began in mid-September, have grown into a nationwide movement with over a quarter of a million people marching in cities across France, including 256,000 people on Tuesday, according to The Korea Times, citing government figures. The demonstrations have been met with a police response, including tear gas being fired to control crowds in Paris and elsewhere.

The protests have also drawn international attention, with Iran summoning the French ambassador to Tehran, Pierre Cochard, to protest the "violent treatment" of the protesters and "extensive and flagrant human rights violations" during the demonstrations, as reported by Middle East Eye. The protests have increased pressure on the administration of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, Middle East Eye, PBS NewsHour, The Korea Times — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.