As the student protests of recent days in France have now taken a violent turn, with President Emmanuel Macron’s government referring to “civil unrest” and accusing the radical left of instigating them, authorities announced yesterday, Thursday, that nearly 2,000 people had been arrested, seven months before the presidential election, in which polls show Marine Le Pen’s far-right party as the favorite.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, most of the 1,949 individuals detained are accused of violence, particularly against law enforcement. Of those detained, 1,800 were arrested. Authorities also reported 305 injured police officers and gendarmes.
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Education Minister Edouard Zeffré announced that approximately 400 schools are expected to remain closed today, though they will continue to operate via distance learning.
Mr. Zeffre also stated that 170 students and 65 members of the Ministry of Education’s staff have been injured since the protests began.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a meeting yesterday, Thursday, to address the crisis, as student protests spread across the country, with participants protesting poor conditions in educational institutions.
On Wednesday, 600 arrests had already been reported, with charges including arson and attacks on police officers.
The mass protests are now spreading to universities, with blockades reported at approximately 30 campuses, according to the Union Étudiante, an organization of the French student movement.
Some of yesterday’s demonstrations were peaceful, with students denouncing the poor condition of school buildings, large class sizes, and teacher shortages, but others were marred by violent clashes and acts of vandalism.
The media in France focused primarily on the incidents, also reporting attacks on bus stops and public transportation, as well as the police’s use of tear gas in some locations.
In Nantes, trash cans were set on fire and fireworks were launched, while the entrance to a school was engulfed in flames for some time. In Marseille, a fire department vehicle was set on fire.
The Ministry of the Interior claimed that the situation no longer has anything to do with legitimate demands, referring to “civil unrest” and accusing Unsubmissive France (LFI, radical left) of instigating them, of “organized conspiracy.” The party countered that the government is resorting to “conspiracy theories” and tactics of “attrition” and “provocation.”
Education Minister Zéphé called for calm to be restored and promised talks with student representatives.
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Source: APE-MPE
