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French high schools shut as student protests over school conditions enter third week
Коротко
Student protests over underfunded and deteriorating schools across France entered a third week, with hundreds of high schools closed or disrupted and a student union saying 2,000 were at a standstill. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 78 education staff had been injured and 24 schools burned or ransacked, and accused far-left activists of hijacking the movement. Police said they detained more than 5,000 people, and the government has so far offered consultations and a proposed damages bill rather than concessions.
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High schools across France were closed or disrupted on Tuesday as student protests over the state of the education system entered a third week. Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that schools would not reopen after the weekend, with classes at 400 to 500 high schools partially or completely canceled because security did not meet the required levels, UPI reported. [ 1 ]
The student union Union Syndicale Lycéenne said 2,000 high schools were at a standstill and all universities were mobilized, according to CBS News, which described the day as a historic morning of protest. Demonstrators are demanding that the government address underfunded and under-resourced schools, which many say are falling apart. One protester told CBS News that schools in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris, “see the ceilings falling apart, water in the walls, rats.” [ 2 ]
Geffray said 78 education staff had been injured and 24 schools “burned or ransacked” since the protests began on Sept. 21 in low-income districts of Paris' southeastern suburbs, which he called unprecedented. He accused left-wing extremists of infiltrating the high school movement, hijacking it and engaging in extreme violence. The Justice Ministry said 735 of the country's 3,700 schools had been impacted “one way or another” by unrest over overcrowding, teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings. [ 1 ]
Police said they detained more than 5,000 people in connection with the protests, including more than 4,000 teenagers, and have used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators, CBS News reported. In Lens, in northern France, a 15-year-old student lost a hand on Monday after picking up a police grenade, authorities told AFP; a police union source said it appeared to be a sting-ball grenade fired by riot police. Last week in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, near Paris, a 14-year-old suffered a jaw fracture after reportedly being struck in the head with a tear gas grenade, according to CBS partner BBC News, which cited the teen's lawyer. Local officials have announced investigations into both incidents. [ 2 ]
The government's response has combined consultations and a promised bill. Geffray said almost 350 delegates from 28 school councils had met in the past week and that he convened the National High School Life Council on Friday. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told ministers he would not “yield an inch to violence” and would push a so-called “casseur-payer” bill making those who damage public property liable for the costs, while also promising action on oversubscribed university places. CBS News said the government, mired in political deadlock ahead of presidential elections next spring, had yet to show protesters any meaningful concessions. [ 1 , 2 ]
CBS News and CNN both described the mobilization as the biggest student protests in decades; CNN carried that characterization in a headline without further detail. [ 2 , 3 ]
Почему это важно
The protests have shut or disrupted schools nationwide in the third week of a movement that education officials describe as unprecedented, affecting students, teachers and parents. They come as the government is described as politically deadlocked ahead of presidential elections next spring, which frames the dispute as a test of how far the state will go on school funding and on policing the unrest.
Ключевые факты
- Student protests over school conditions entered their third week, with demonstrators demanding the government address underfunded and under-resourced schools. [ 2 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray said classes at 400 to 500 high schools were partially or completely canceled because security did not meet required levels. [ 1 ]
- The Union Syndicale Lycéenne said 2,000 high schools were at a standstill and all universities were mobilized. [ 2 ]
- Geffray said 78 education staff had been injured and 24 schools “burned or ransacked” since the protests began on Sept. 21. [ 1 ]
- The Justice Ministry said 735 of the country's 3,700 schools had been impacted “one way or another” by unrest over overcrowding, teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings. [ 1 ]
- Police said they detained more than 5,000 people in connection with the protests, including more than 4,000 teenagers. [ 2 ]
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu vowed not to “yield an inch to violence” and to push a “casseur-payer” bill making those who damage public property liable for the costs. [ 1 ]
- CBS News and CNN both described the protests as the biggest student protests in decades. [ 2 , 3 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- The student protests have entered a third week and are centered on the state of the education system and school conditions. [ 1 , 2 ]
- High schools across France have been closed or disrupted by the protests. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The coverage describes the protests as the largest student mobilisation in decades. [ 2 , 3 ]
Пока неясно
- The number of schools affected. UPI reports classes partially or completely canceled at 400 to 500 high schools and 735 of 3,700 schools impacted, while the Union Syndicale Lycéenne said 2,000 high schools were at a standstill — different measures from different sources.
- Whether the government has offered protesters any meaningful concessions. CBS News said the government has yet to show protesters meaningful concessions, while UPI reports consultations with pupils' representatives and a promised bill on damage costs.
- The circumstances of the grenade injuries to two students. Reported only by CBS News, citing authorities, AFP and a police union source; local officials have announced investigations.
- Whether rallies and detentions continued at the same scale after Tuesday morning. No document gives figures beyond Tuesday morning; CNN provided only a headline.
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray said the government is consulting pupils' elected representatives, with almost 350 delegates from 28 school councils having met in the past week. Reported by a single source so far
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government would not “yield an inch to violence” and would pursue a “casseur-payer” bill. Reported by a single source so far
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- UPI reports that Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced schools would not reopen after the weekend, with classes at 400 to 500 high schools canceled or reduced, and that 78 staff had been injured and 24 schools burned or ransacked. [ 1 ]
- CBS News reports the Union Syndicale Lycéenne saying 2,000 high schools were at a standstill, all universities mobilized, and police saying more than 5,000 people had been detained. [ 2 ]
- CNN publishes a headline describing the protests as France's biggest student protests in decades. [ 3 ]