France school protests: 190 students injured, 400–500 lycées shut
Version 2: A third outlet, Kommersant, adds new facts: 78 teachers and school staff injured since mid-September, 24 schools burned or wrecked, 400–500 lycées fully or partly closed on 5 October, the reported start of the protests on 21 September at a Créteil lycée, the detail that the 15-year-old’s hand injury occurred in Lens when he picked up a police grenade, and the government’s order-keeping response, including the “destroyed — pay” bill and moves to distance learning.
In short
At least 190 school students have been injured during high-school protests in France, education minister Édouard Geffray said, adding that a new count was due that evening. Kommersant reported that 78 teachers and school staff had also been injured since mid-September, that 24 schools were burned or wrecked and that 400–500 lycées were fully or partly closed on 5 October. The protests, organised by the Union of Lycéens over teacher shortages, crowded classes and school conditions, began in the second half of September; 625 people were detained on 30 September.
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At least 190 school students have been injured during high-school protests in France, education minister Édouard Geffray said in an interview with the television channel BFMTV, as reported by TASS, Vedomosti and Kommersant. Geffray said “unfortunately, this evening we will have a new count”, indicating the figure could rise again. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Geffray said the students were injured “mainly either as a result of random events”, or by injuries inflicted by “troublemakers”, or by pyrotechnics used by demonstrators, Vedomosti reported. Kommersant said most were hurt accidentally, falling from street structures or through the demonstrators’ own use of pyrotechnics. The minister also commented on the case of a 15-year-old who received a serious hand injury, calling the incident “humanly dramatic” and adding that “there are always circumstances that cause such situations”. He said he did not know all the circumstances and would not interfere in the work of another ministry, but that both students and adults must be protected throughout France. [ 2 , 3 ]
Kommersant reported further figures from the same period: 78 teachers and school staff injured since mid-September, 24 educational institutions burned or wrecked, and 400–500 lycées fully or partly closed on 5 October because of the continuing unrest. Kommersant placed the 15-year-old’s injury in Lens, saying the teenager was seriously hurt in the hand after picking up a police grenade; Vedomosti reported the hand injury without describing how it occurred. [ 2 , 3 ]
The two business outlets differ on when the movement began. Kommersant said the protests started on 21 September at the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in the Paris suburb of Créteil; Vedomosti said they began in late September. Both report that they were organised by the student union the Union of Lycéens, and that demonstrators are demanding solutions to systemic problems in schools: shortages of teachers and medical staff, overloaded timetables, overcrowded classes and uncomfortable temperature conditions. Vedomosti reported that 625 people were detained on 30 September. [ 2 , 3 ]
According to Kommersant, French authorities responded to the protests primarily with measures to maintain order after several days of clashes, discussing school problems less. The government is trying to accept part of the students’ demands while threatening a tough response to violence. One measure is accelerating a bill already known as “destroyed — pay”, allowing damage caused during violent actions to be recovered and, in certain cases, civil liability to be placed on all participants in a group that caused destruction. Some schools have been moved to distance learning, and the justice ministry has been tasked with finding and prosecuting those responsible for the incidents. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The injury toll and the closure of hundreds of lycées put pressure on the French education ministry as a student-led movement over school conditions continues into a third week. The documents show the government shifting toward order-keeping measures, including a proposed law to recover damage costs and remote schooling, while the education demands that started the protests receive less attention. The story is being carried by Russia's main state agency and two leading business dailies.
Key facts
- At least 190 school students were injured during high-school protests in France, education minister Édouard Geffray said on BFMTV. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said most students were injured accidentally, including by falling from street structures or by pyrotechnics used by demonstrators. [ 2 , 3 ]
- A 15-year-old suffered a serious hand injury; Kommersant reported he picked up a police grenade in Lens, while Vedomosti said only that the minister called the incident “humanly dramatic”. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Since mid-September, 78 teachers and school staff have been injured and 24 schools have been burned or wrecked, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
- 400–500 lycées were fully or partly closed on 5 October because of the unrest, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
- The protests are organised by the student union the Union of Lycéens and demand solutions to teacher and medical staff shortages, overloaded timetables, overcrowded classes and uncomfortable temperatures. [ 2 ]
- 625 people were detained on 30 September. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reported the government is accelerating a bill known as “destroyed — pay”, which would allow damage from violent actions to be recovered and in some cases place civil liability on all members of a group that caused destruction. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- 190 school students were injured during the protests, according to education minister Édouard Geffray. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said the majority of the injured students were hurt accidentally, including by pyrotechnics used by demonstrators. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A 15-year-old received a serious hand injury, an incident the minister called “humanly dramatic”. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- When exactly the protests began. Kommersant says they started on 21 September at the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in the Paris suburb of Créteil, while Vedomosti says only that they began in late September.
- The circumstances of the 15-year-old’s hand injury. Kommersant reports the teenager picked up a police grenade in Lens; Vedomosti reports the injury but does not describe how it happened, and says the minister did not know all the circumstances and would not interfere in another ministry’s work.
- How the 190 injuries break down between accidents, “troublemakers” and pyrotechnics. The minister gave no breakdown of the figure.
- The final number of injured students. Geffray said a new count was expected on the evening of 5 October, but no updated figure appears in the documents.
- Total numbers injured or detained over the whole protest period. Only the 30 September detention figure of 625 people is given.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Protests begin at the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in the Paris suburb of Créteil, according to Kommersant. [ 3 ]
- 625 people are detained during the school protests, according to Vedomosti. [ 2 ]
- 400–500 lycées are fully or partly closed because of the unrest, Kommersant reports. [ 3 ]
- TASS reports that the number of injured school students in the French protests has risen to 190, citing education minister Édouard Geffray. [ 1 ]
- Vedomosti publishes Geffray’s BFMTV interview remarks, including that a new count was due that evening. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant publishes its account, adding figures on injured teachers, damaged schools, closed lycées and the government response. [ 3 ]