France student protests: Interior Ministry counts 250,000, organizers claim 450,000
In short
Schoolchildren and students protested across France on Tuesday, with the Interior Ministry counting more than 250,000 participants nationally and 56,000 in Paris, while TASS reported nearly 260,000 overall. Organizers put the turnout much higher, at 450,000 nationwide and 100,000 in Paris, according to Le Figaro. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and National Education Minister Edouard Geffray are due to appear before National Assembly committees on Wednesday.
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Protests by schoolchildren and students continued across France on Tuesday, with turnout figures disputed between the authorities and the organizers. France's Interior Ministry counted more than 250,000 protesting schoolchildren and students, including 56,000 in Paris, Le Figaro reported, according to Interfax. TASS, also citing the Interior Ministry, put the overall national figure at almost 260,000 participants, with 56,000 on the streets of Paris. RIA Novosti reported that more than 260,000 schoolchildren were taking part in protests in French regions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The youth and student organizations leading the movement say the turnout was far higher: 450,000 striking nationwide, of them 100,000 in Paris, Interfax reported, citing Le Figaro. Sophie Binet, general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour, one of France's largest trade union federations, agrees with that estimate, the newspaper said. [ 3 ]
The movement erupted in September and has grown into large nationwide demonstrations that have at times been accompanied by violence, Interfax reported. It centres on demands for a fundamental reform of the education system and for improved learning conditions, and according to Le Figaro it has spread to French overseas departments and regions. [ 3 ]
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and National Education Minister Edouard Geffray are to appear before deputies of the National Assembly, Le Figaro reported. Nunez will address the law commission on “maintaining public order during high-school protests and protecting people from violence,” while Geffray will appear before the culture and education commission, where the “blocking of lycées” is to be discussed. Interfax described the hearings as taking place amid another wave of large and highly tense high-school protests. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The protests have grown since September into nationwide demonstrations focused on demands for a fundamental reform of the education system, and the documents say some have involved violence. The Wednesday parliamentary hearings on public order and on the blocking of lycées indicate the French government is being pressed to answer for the unrest in the National Assembly. Because coverage rests on French Interior Ministry counts and a Le Figaro report, the significance beyond France is mostly as a measure of the scale and persistence of the movement.
Key facts
- France's Interior Ministry counted more than 250,000 schoolchildren and students protesting on Tuesday, including 56,000 in Paris, according to Le Figaro. [ 3 ]
- TASS reported the Interior Ministry figure as almost 260,000 protesters overall, with 56,000 in Paris. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reported that more than 260,000 schoolchildren were taking part in protests in French regions. [ 1 ]
- Youth and student organizations leading the movement say 450,000 are striking nationally and 100,000 in Paris, a figure the CGT's general secretary Sophie Binet agrees with, Le Figaro reported. [ 3 ]
- Le Figaro reports the movement has spread to French overseas departments and regions. [ 3 ]
- The protests, which began in September, centre on demands for a fundamental reform of the education system and better learning conditions. [ 3 ]
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and National Education Minister Edouard Geffray are to appear before National Assembly committees on Wednesday. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Schoolchildren and students took part in protests across France on Tuesday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- France's Interior Ministry counted 56,000 protesters in Paris. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Interior Ministry put the national figure in the 250,000 range, reported as more than 250,000 by Interfax and as almost 260,000 by TASS. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact number of protesters nationwide on Tuesday. Official figures differ between the reports — more than 250,000 in one and nearly 260,000 in another — while the organizers' claim of 450,000 comes from a single document citing Le Figaro.
- Whether the protests have spread to French overseas departments and regions. This is reported only through one document citing Le Figaro and is not carried by the other outlets.
- RIA Novosti's figure of more than 260,000 schoolchildren in the regions. It appears in one document only and frames the count differently from the other two, which describe national totals of protesters.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports that more than 260,000 schoolchildren are taking part in protests in French regions. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports, citing the French Interior Ministry, that almost 260,000 people joined the protests, including 56,000 in Paris. [ 2 ]
- Interfax, citing Le Figaro, reports the Interior Ministry counted more than 250,000 protesting schoolchildren and students, with 56,000 in Paris, and that organizers claim 450,000 nationally. [ 3 ]