France braces for fresh nationwide student demonstrations

France prepared for nationwide demonstrations on Tuesday as students continued to protest poor classroom conditions. Supported by trade unions and the far-left France Unbowed party, the mobilization includes a midday march in Paris and rallies in other cities. According to France 24, blockades had already disrupted central Paris, and both authorities and protesters expressed concern regarding possible violence.

The New Straits Times reports that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined high school pupils campaigning for better learning conditions at the Paul Eluard high school in Saint-Denis. As Thunberg arrived, lawyers in robes formed a human chain to protect teenagers following numerous allegations of police brutality. Thunberg stated that young people are not being included in the conversation and that their future is being robbed from them.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated on France Inter that approximately 200 schools were closed, a figure he noted was fewer than the previous week. The New Straits Times reports that more than 70,000 people participated in the last major event of the movement, which began in late September.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, New Straits Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.