Around 400 French high schools shut as student protests turn violent
Around 400 French high schools shut as student protests turn violent
Around 400 French high schools shut their doors on Friday, October 2, as a fast-spreading student protest movement turned violent, with pupils lighting fires outside school gates and clashing with riot police across the country.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed “a little over 400” of France’s 3,700 high schools would stay closed for the day. Many switched to remote classes, particularly in the southern city of Marseille. The movement began last week in the Paris region and has now reached schools in every part of the country.
French high schools shut amid fires and clashes
In Paris, fires damaged the entrances of two high schools on Friday: the Leonard de Vinci school in the south of the city and Gaston-Bachelard in the southeast. Firefighters were called to put out both blazes, an AFP photographer reported.
Teenage pupils at lycées, mostly in their final years of schooling, have been blocking access to buildings and facing off with police. The students say their school hours are excessively long, conditions are inadequate including overheated classrooms and there are too many staff absences.
The government has called the grievances legitimate but condemned what it describes as “urban violence”. Students, in turn, accuse the police of using excessive force and causing injuries by firing tear gas canisters to break up the protests.
Ministers blame “ultra-violent fringe groups”
Geffray told broadcaster BFMTV that the student movement was being “held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups”. He said nearly 400 high schools out of 3,700 were expected to close on Friday, and warned parents directly: “Parents must clearly step up and tell their children not to go” to the protests. “What matters now is ensuring our children are no longer out on the streets, because they are in danger.”
At least 65 staff, including 40 principals, have been injured since the movement began, while some 170 students have been wounded. More than 100 high schools have suffered “severe damage”, the minister said.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he had asked prosecutors to hold parents liable for damage caused by their children and make them “pay for repairs”. Around 2,000 people have been taken into custody since the movement began, 90 per cent of them minors, he told RTL radio.
Students defiant as police use tear gas
In the western city of Rennes, the mood outside the Jean-Macé high school was tense on Friday morning, with students dressed in black and wearing balaclavas standing not far from a heavy police presence. “As far as we’re concerned, we’ve won — our school is closed this morning,” said Lola, 16, who declined to give her last name.
Political fallout ahead of presidential elections
The protests have taken on a political edge just over half a year before France’s presidential elections. The government has accused the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, whose leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is standing for the presidency again, of being behind the movement. Senior LFI official Manuel Bompard rejected the charge, accusing the government of “descending into conspiracy theories”.
To ease tensions, Geffray said he was meeting education unions and student associations on Friday to find common ground.
Frequently asked questions
How many French high schools closed on Friday, October 2?
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said “a little over 400” of France’s 3,700 high schools were expected to stay closed, with many shifting to remote classes.
Why are French students protesting?
Students say school hours are excessively long, conditions are inadequate including overheated classrooms, and there are too many staff absences. The government calls the grievances legitimate but condemns the violence.
How many people have been arrested?
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said around 2,000 people had been taken into police custody since the movement began, 90 per cent of them minors. At least 65 staff and 170 students have been injured.
What is the government doing about the protests?
Geffray met education unions and student associations on Friday to seek dialogue. Darmanin has asked prosecutors to hold parents financially liable for damage caused by their children.
