Trump says French protests the result of 'nothing less than out-of-control mass migration'
Trump claimed that the protests were not about schools, and instead were "about Islam wanting to take over a once great country!"
US President Donald Trump attributed massive protests in France to unchecked mass migration and Islam, claiming the situation is "nothing less than out of control mass migration." Trump's statements came after the protests began in September in Paris's deprived suburbs and spread nationwide. Students complained about basic maintenance issues in schools, including water leaks and rat infestations.
The protests reportedly do not pertain to religion or immigration but rather focus on understaffing and funding shortages. In Marseille and Nantes, protesters displayed signs stating, "The state has killed national education." In Toulouse, parents marched in solidarity.
Clashes with masked protesters resulted in hundreds of arrests and 48 security personnel injuries in Paris. Several storefronts were damaged during the demonstrations. The Interior Ministry reported 488 arrests and 48 injured security personnel on Tuesday.
The High School Students Union claimed that more than half of France's high schools were blockaded or closed, while some authorities attempted to move classes online. Rights groups, students, and parent groups accused authorities of employing excessive force against minors, while the government accused the protest movement of being hijacked by outsiders and deteriorating into urban violence.
More than 1,800 individuals are facing prosecution for unspecified crimes, including 1,483 minors. High-school teacher Omar Slaouti stated, "If there were no trash cans on fire, the government would not have stepped back and become aware of the issues at stake."
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