France protests spread as injuries top 1,000
More than 1,000 people have been injured and thousands of students have been left without in-person classes as high school protests over education conditions continue across France.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told the National Assembly that 761 police officers and gendarmes, 215 students and 89 education workers had been injured since the mobilization began in mid-September.
The protests have centered on staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms and inadequate school facilities, but some demonstrations have also involved fires, vandalism and clashes with police.
6,629 arrests reported
Nunez said 6,629 arrests had been recorded during the protests.
Twenty-four high schools have been set on fire or damaged so severely that they cannot immediately reopen, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said. As a result, about 30,000 students are unable to attend classes in person.
Several hundred other schools have also sustained serious damage, with the cost estimated at between €20 million and €30 million.
The Education Ministry said classes were fully or partially suspended at 459 schools on Wednesday. The figure had stood at 891 schools on Tuesday when all causes of disruption were included.
Student and youth unions have called for further blockades and demonstrations in Paris and other cities.
Police grenade use suspended
The government has suspended the use of stun grenades during high school student mobilizations following serious injuries, including the loss of a 15-year-old protester’s hand.
Nunez said he had ordered the suspension and emphasized that police responses must be proportionate when dealing with student demonstrations.
The police oversight body, IGPN, has opened 18 investigations into incidents linked to the protests.
One separate investigation was launched on suspicion of attempted murder following a complaint by a high school student against a police officer in Belfort.
Authorities are also investigating footage showing a police vehicle driving at high speed toward protesters in Dunkirk. Nunez described the incident as exceptional and said disciplinary proceedings were underway.
Most French back student demands
An Elabe poll for BFMTV found that 72% of respondents considered the students’ demands legitimate, while 55% said they approved of the mobilization.
However, 55% said the protests should now end, compared with 27% who wanted them to continue at their current level and 17% who supported an escalation.
Support was stronger among parents of high school students, reaching 71%.
Among people aged 18 to 24, 33% wanted the movement to end, 38% supported continuing it at its current level and 28% favored escalation.
Young people express wider concerns
The protests come amid broader anxiety among young people about their future.
An Ipsos survey conducted for Aix-Marseille University found that 76% of people aged 18 to 29 were concerned about France’s situation, while 74% were worried about the international situation.
Despite those concerns, 77% said they were satisfied with their personal lives.
Economic and social insecurity featured prominently in the survey. Some 89% believed they would have to work longer than previous generations to receive a pension, while 86% were concerned about greater difficulty buying a home.
Another 84% expressed concern about finding stable employment.
Political trust also under pressure
The survey found that 78% of young respondents believed current political leaders were doing a poor job preparing for their future, while 82% said political leaders were too disconnected from young people’s realities.
Nearly four in five said they had considered building their lives outside France, with 34% saying they were seriously considering doing so.
The findings suggest that the high school mobilization is unfolding against a wider backdrop of concern among younger generations about education, employment, housing, pensions and their long-term prospects.
With further demonstrations planned, the French government faces pressure to address the education demands while containing violence and ensuring that students can return to classrooms.
Source:AA
