France Police Clash With Students as 564 Schools Face Disruptions and Fires

France school closures spread

France’s Ministry of National Education reported that 564 schools across France have been or are still being subject to actions or disruptions since the beginning of the day, as student protests over better learning conditions continued for days. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said “a little more than 400 schools” would be closed Friday, and he told France 2 the schools would remain closed “either because fire protection systems have been destroyed or because staff have been deliberately targeted,”. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said security forces were “not facing protesters but rioters,” as he denounced an attack on an off-duty police officer in Belfort that left the officer beaten until he lost consciousness.

The University of Strasbourg campus became a flashpoint when protesters advanced after being pushed back by law enforcement, and BFMTV reported mortar fireworks were heard while gasoline was used to start a fire. In Paris, firefighters intervened at fires ignited at the entrances of several schools, while the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhone told BFMTV the situation was “incomparable with yesterday,” with “far fewer protesters” on the streets of Marseille.

Anadolu Ajansı

SourcesAnadolu Ajansı

Blame and competing narratives

The BBC said a student in Paris told it, “We are angry,” and added that it’s “not normal” that there are 40 students in one classroom at a time. BThe BBC also described the government’s position that the protests have been hijacked by France’s radical left party La France Insoumise, while it said LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon denied the claims and said the protests are “self-organised”. BCNBC reported that France’s Interior Ministry said Thursday the unrest “no longer has anything to do with the legitimate expression of high-school students' demands,” and it described the situation as having the characteristics of “urban violence.”

Prime Minister’s Office intelligence services viewed the movement as a “maneuver organized by LFI and its ultra-left proxies,” according to Reuters as cited by CNBC. Education Minister Édouard Geffray warned that “the high school student movement is being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups,” while he said nearly 400 high schools out of the 3,700 in the country were expected to be closed on Friday.

BBC

SourcesBBCCNBC

Injuries, arrests, and next steps

Anadolu Ajansı reported that more than 100 schools suffered severe damage while 65 school staff members, including 40 headteachers, were injured, and it said 170 students had been injured since the start of the movement.

The same Anadolu Ajansı account said on Thursday, 900 protests were reported outside schools and nearly 2,000 arrests were made, while over 300 police officers and gendarmes were also injured.

Amnesty International accused the police of using disproportionate force against minors, including the use of batons, tear gas and non-lethal flash-ball guns, and it said on X, “Authorities must prioritize dialogue and de-escalation, not resort to weapons,”.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he had asked prosecutors to hold parents liable for damage caused by their children during the protests and require them to pay for repairs, and he told RTL that since the start of the movement, about 2,000 people had been taken into police custody, “90% of them minors”.

The BBC said France’s biggest trade unions called for members to join a protest on 6 October, and it said a consultation platform commissioned by the government would go live on Monday asking students: What difficulties are you facing? BWhat are your expectations?

SourcesAnadolu AjansıCNN