French teens march for decent schools despite government's pledge to act

Marseille and Paris saw French teenagers blockade high schools and march through cities on Thursday as the government pledged to address their complaints regarding teacher shortages and outdated school facilities, offering scant specifics. The protest movement, now in its third week, has highlighted the stark divide between citizens' pleas for investments in neglected public services and a government grappling with financial constraints and pressure from bond markets to slash its debt and deficit.

Dense crowds rallied in Paris and across the nation, from Lille in the north to Rennes and Nantes in the west, Toulon and Marseille in the south. While the marches remained peaceful overall, skirmishes between law enforcement and demonstrators erupted in parts of Paris and Nantes, with police forcibly dispersing a crowd using water cannons in Rennes.

Marseille witnessed a prominent demonstration led by high-school teacher Diane Di Sciullo, who joined students in a large-scale march, expressing their sole demand: a decent education system.