Protests by high school students in France are spreading to universities, and after clashes between protesters and security forces, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has urgently called an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss the situation. Students have blocked school entrances to demand the replacement of absent teachers, smaller classes and better conditions in schools. More than 300 educational institutions across France have been involved in protests, from Paris to Marseille. In Nantes, the entrance hall of the Nelson Mandela high school was engulfed in fire. The flames also spread to the facade of the building before firefighters were able to extinguish it.
The situation was also dire in Marseille. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region said that at the Lycée Victor Hugo, the principal, deputy principal, general secretary and head of the maintenance team were attacked and doused with gasoline. According to Regional authorities, the arson attempt took place inside the school and caused chaos in front of the institution.
“All staff went inside to protect themselves, while police and firefighters intervened at the scene,” the Regional administration said. School administrators have announced that they will file a complaint. Authorities described the incident as an “unacceptable” overstepping of the protest limits. On Wednesday alone, 625 people were detained by police, while 83 police and gendarmes were injured. Since the blockades began at the beginning of the week, 119 students and school staff have also been injured. The IGPN, the body that investigates police conduct in France, has opened three investigations into the actions of police officers towards the young protesters, some of whom were seriously injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has defended the actions of the security forces, speaking of “proportionality.” However, cases of excessive use of force have also been reported during the protests in France.
On the one hand, the peaceful protesters, who make up the majority, have been overshadowed by the actions of violent individuals, some of whom are not school students. They have committed arson and damaged school buildings, precisely during protests demanding improved conditions in these institutions. On the other hand, some police officers have been filmed using force in ways that are being investigated. In some cases, they have been seen hitting young people with batons, while in other cases, tear gas grenades or rubber bullets have been used at close range, which can cause serious injuries.