SAN ANTONIO: Victor Wembanyama voiced his support for French students protesting conditions in the country’s schools, telling reporters on Thursday night: “I hear them, and I support them.”
The San Antonio Spurs star spoke at a press conference after the team’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Hawks. He said he was glad young people were raising their voices about deep-rooted problems in the education system.
“These are systemic inequalities – problems so deep-rooted that, in fact, I’m glad that high-school students and young people in general are speaking up,” Wembanyama said. He added that he hoped officials would listen as well.
An Instagram exchange that started it all
Wembanyama had earlier replied “I would love to” when a fan asked him in an Instagram post to join the protests with the French teenagers. Asked about that exchange on Thursday, the 22-year-old said he meant it.
“I have a lot of interest. I meant it,” he said. “I was in that position not so long ago. I’ve had the chance to escape this system, to escape these problems. But it’s chance, it’s luck. So I want to show my support.”
The French star said the issue felt personal. “It’s not something that’s completely unfamiliar to me. I went to high school in Nanterre, which was already a stronghold of ‘blocages’ back then,” he said, referring to student-led school blockades.
Wembanyama and the French students protest: tens of thousands take to the streets
France’s Interior Ministry said 71,500 people took part in Thursday’s demonstrations, including 24,500 in the main Paris march centred on Place de la Bastille.
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris’ poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly grew into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.
Wembanyama is expected back in France in about three months, when the Spurs are scheduled to face the New Orleans Pelicans in Paris.
Frequently asked questions
What did Wembanyama say about the French student protests?
Speaking after the Spurs’ preseason opener on Thursday night, he said: “I hear them, and I support them.” He called the problems in French schools “systemic inequalities” and said he was glad students were speaking up.
How did the story begin?
A fan asked Wembanyama in an Instagram post to join the protests with French teenagers, and he replied “I would love to.” He confirmed at the press conference that he meant it.
How large were Thursday’s demonstrations?
France’s Interior Ministry put the turnout at 71,500 people nationwide, including 24,500 in the main Paris march at Place de la Bastille.
Why does the issue matter to Wembanyama?
He said he went to high school in Nanterre, a suburb already known for student blockades, and added that escaping those problems was a matter of chance and luck for him.
The original report appeared in Geo Super.
