High school student protests continue in France

French high school students have been protesting for over a week, blocking entrances to hundreds of schools across the country. The protests, which have also seen university student unions and national education unions join in, began in late September over concerns such as underfunding in education, dilapidated buildings, and teacher shortages.

According to Business Insider, estimates of the number of demonstrators vary, with the French Government counting 265,000 and organizers saying 450,000 participated in the protests on October 6.

The protests have led to clashes between students and police, with rights groups and students accusing officers of using disproportionate force. Riot police have been deployed to control the situation, and some demonstrators have started fires and vandalised bus shelters. In response to the crisis, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu addressed the nation on Wednesday evening, promising to present a plan to respond to the situation by the end of October. He denied that security forces had been given "orders to confront" the young people.

Students have expressed skepticism over Lecornu's remarks, with some saying they want action rather than words. According to The Citizen, 17-year-old Camille and 18-year-old Hanaa expressed disappointment and a desire for more concrete measures from the government. The protests have spread to over 40 French cities, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Rennes.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, The Citizen, Business Insider, Euronews — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.