Clashes between police in protective gear and students protesting over education standards rippled across France on Friday, with walkouts at more than 560 schools leaving campuses unable to function as usual. Street demonstrations involving secondary school students and members of the public drew attention to teacher shortages, packed classrooms, and deteriorating school facilities, with some gatherings accompanied by burning in the roads.
Unrest that took hold in Paris a week ago has since extended to other parts of the country, with Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille among the urban centres now caught up in the demonstrations. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin described the situation as having shifted from student-led protests at secondary schools into a broader breakdown of public order.
Authorities in Belfort, a town in north-eastern France, detained a 17-year-old on Friday on suspicion of attempting to kill a police officer during unrest in the area. According to the education ministry, no fewer than 65 members of staff sustained injuries during the unrest.
Clashes broke out in Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris, after objects were hurled at officers, leading to detentions and a police advance on the crowd. Tear gas was used by officers in Strasbourg, according to news agency reporting, as the situation on the ground was assessed to be at risk of turning hostile.
Fires were set in bins across Rennes and Paris. Lola, a 16-year-old taking part in the demonstrations, told a news agency that the closure of her school that morning felt like a victory for those involved. In her account, the use of batons and tear gas against the crowd only intensified the tension, and she maintained that officers had no legal basis for treating people in that manner.
Fireworks were launched towards officers in Marseille, and staff at a local school were accidentally exposed to petrol during the unrest, according to authorities, who added that the education ministry had described the harm to school premises as considerable. Repair costs at the Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes reached upwards of €2m (£1.7m), based on figures released by the regional government.
Demonstrations and school blockades that got under way the previous week had, by that point, reached hundreds of educational institutions nationwide. Pupils have raised concerns about the length of the school day, uncomfortable temperatures in classrooms, and a reported shortage of available teaching staff. Proposed reductions to education funding have drawn protests from young demonstrators opposed to the changes.
On Friday, Education Minister Édouard Geffray put forward the claim that people who were not students had made their way into the movement. In a broadcast interview, he relayed what educators had described — that the individuals standing before them bore no resemblance to their usual student body.
Some parents have expressed concern that their children may be drawn into the disorder and unrest taking place. Outside the Claude Monet school in the south of Paris, a 53-year-old woman named Anya searched for her son, having been told by staff that he was not permitted on the premises. A woman told a broadcaster that she hoped the person in question had not arrived, while also noting he had already left home, and that those around her were concerned the situation could worsen.
Darmanin indicated that prosecutors had been directed to pursue parents for costs tied to damage their children caused, including repair expenses. According to his account, roughly 2,000 people — the majority of them minors — had been placed under arrest from the time the movement began.
A number of trade unions in France have thrown their weight behind the student demonstrations. Three organisations — SNEP-FSU, SNUEP-FSU, and Solidaires — have each put out calls urging their respective memberships to take part. The Solidaires Trade Union Federation's statement called on members to protect young people from being subjected to use of force.
Those attending secondary school hold recognised rights to gather, organise, and stage demonstrations.
