Thousands mass in France for high school protests

Paris and numerous other French cities witnessed large gatherings of demonstrators on Tuesday, amid heavy police presence. This was in response to ongoing protests by high school students, who have been demanding better conditions for the past few months. The unrest began in late September, following complaints from students about missing teachers, overcrowded timetables, rundown classrooms, and schools unable to cope with rising temperatures.

The protests started in the Paris suburb of Creteil, where students blocked the entrances of hundreds of high schools.

In Creteil, student Abderrahmane Abdelkader spoke to the crowd, emphasizing that they were there to be heard, as they felt often ignored. In the city of Rennes, teachers rallied in support, vowing to stand by their students if needed. While many protests have remained peaceful, some demonstrations saw destructive actions, including dustbin fires, destruction of bus shelters, and clashes with riot police. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

Since the protests began, 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured, with a 15-year-old losing his hand after allegedly picking up a sting-ball grenade thrown by riot officers. Videos from Tuesday showed police using shields to push back crowds who had formed a human chain and blocked a road near a school in eastern Paris. Demonstrations also took place in Marseille, Nantes, and Lyon, according to AFP reporters.

The unrest has emerged just months before the 2027 presidential election, which will determine the successor to President Emmanuel Macron after his two-term limit. The government has attempted to address the students' concerns but has accused the far-left France Unbowed party of instigating the movement. LFI presidential hopeful Jean-Luc Melenchon has shown strong support for the protests, though he advocates for non-violent methods.

The government has made efforts to address the students' grievances, while blaming the hard-left party for the protests. LFI presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has rallied in support of the demonstrations, calling for peaceful methods. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for peaceful gatherings, urging a return to structured, legal, and democratic forms of opposition.

The head of the CGT labor union, Sophie Binet, pledged to protect the high-school students. Greens party leader Marine Tondelier urged local officials and parents to don white clothing and safeguard the children during demonstrations. Various unions and rights organizations have criticized the police for employing excessive force against the protesters. Amnesty International recently called on French authorities to halt the "disproportionate police repression" seen during the student protests.

The images and testimonies shared over the past week have raised serious concerns about the dangerous use of tear gas, batons, and policing techniques by the police. The police have launched 10 internal investigations into allegations of brutality since the protests began, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. Since the movement started, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked, while over 5,000 people, primarily minors, have been arrested. Prime Minister Lecornu's office reported that 85 teaching staff have also been injured.

To tackle the issue of missing teachers and dilapidated buildings, the government is proposing legislation that would hold those responsible for damaging public property responsible for repairs, rather than using public funds.