Protests by school students in France against teacher shortages and poor learning conditions have continued for a third week. On October 8, participants again blocked educational institutions and took to demonstrations that gathered 71,500 people. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to Reuters, citing the country's Interior Ministry, the largest demonstration took place in Paris, where 24,500 participants gathered. The center of the action was Place de la Bastille. For most of the day the protest was peaceful, but in the evening small groups of demonstrators clashed with police.
Unrest occurred in other cities. According to the French Interior Ministry, in Bordeaux arsonists attacked a police station, in Saint-Etienne a school was looted, and in Toulouse a demonstrator beat a teacher. In Marseille, a teacher at the Lycée Victor Hugo also reported an attack and contacted police.
The actions of French security forces drew accusations of excessive brutality amid severe injuries to participants in the school protests. In Tours, a 16-year-old teenager lost vision in one eye: according to the prosecutor's office, the injuries are consistent with being hit by a projectile from a police LBD launcher. In Lens, a 15-year-old student had his hand amputated after a police grenade exploded. The circumstances of both cases are under investigation. After the incident in Lens, the French Interior Ministry suspended the use of stun grenades during school protests.
The protests have continued for a third week. Participants complain about a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classes and dilapidated buildings. According to them, classrooms are cold in winter and hot in summer.
Teacher Diana Di Sciullo joined the demonstration in Marseille. She said that her class has 37 students and there is not enough furniture for lessons.
"At the beginning of each lesson I have to ask them to check neighboring classrooms for free chairs and desks so they can study in peace," said Diana Di Sciullo.
Her placard read: "I am a teacher, and my students help me catch cockroaches during lessons."
Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated that additional teachers would be brought into schools to address the staffing problem. In educational institutions with a high workload, the schedule is also planned to be revised. According to Reuters, in France, classes for teenagers can last from eight in the morning until six in the evening.
In addition, the minister reported work on improving the national university admissions portal Parcoursup, which is criticized for its complexity and the stress it causes applicants.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised to present "concrete, prompt and fully funded response measures" by the end of October. However, leaders of the protest movement considered these promises insufficient and called for new marches on October 13. Calls to take to the streets on October 17 are also spreading online.
Another cause of discontent was the actions of police when dispersing demonstrations. Since the start of the protests, hundreds of people have been detained and dozens injured.
On October 7, the French government suspended the use of stun grenades during school protests. The decision was made after a teenager lost a hand as a result of a grenade explosion.
According to an Elabe poll for BFM TV, 72% of French people consider the participants' demands justified. At the same time, 55% support ending the protests.
Similar actions also took place in neighboring Belgium — in Brussels, Seneffe and Liege.