The unions have called for demonstrations throughout France today in support of secondary school students, on a day defined as "high risk" by the Government. The students continued to carry out blockade actions against the institutes, in violent clashes with the police that have resulted to date in more than 500 injuries and 6,000 arrests. According to the student unions, there are 1,800 schools blocked.
The first processions of protesters marched early in the morning through the streets of cities such as Marseille - where 40,000 protesters have gathered - or Nantes, shouting "Right to a future" or "Gass the rapists, not the students!" In Paris, dozens of businesses decided to fortify their shop windows between Place de la République and Place de la Nation, for fear of serious riots.
"The feeling of anger among the students is growing due to the Government's lukewarm reaction to their demands and the unprecedented repression over the last ten days," declared Sophie Binet, secretary of the General Confederation of Workers (CGT), before the demonstrations also supported by the Union of Institute Students (USL), by the farmers' unions and by the majority of the left-wing forces, from La Francia Insumisa to the Socialist Party.
The USL announced on Tuesday an "intensification" of school blockades, leading to incidents at several institutes such as Cordocet and Victor Hugo in Paris. At the Jaques-Decour high school, in the capital's 9th district, parents decided to erect a human cordon to avoid clashes with the police, a day after a student suffered a hand amputation in Lens after catching a scattering grenade thrown by riot police.
"I maintain my position that when there are riots there must be intervention," declared Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, in statements to France Info, in response to accusations of police violence. "I must emphasize that the interventions are carried out with maximum proportionality." "When there is material damage, when there are teachers threatened, when there is a risk of infiltration by troublemakers, nothing else can be conceived other than the intervention of the police to restore public order," stressed Nuñez, who responded to the incident of the student with the amputated hand: "I have no reason to apologize, there are judicial investigations underway and we will see if responsibility is confirmed or not."
"Our priority is to restore order," warned government spokesperson Maud Bregeon. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has even accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Insoumise leader of legitimizing the violence. The leader of The Republicans Bruno Retailleau proposed renaming the far-left party as Incendiary France, during a visit to the Nelson Mandela Institute in Nantes, affected by an arson attack last week.
For his part, Education Minister Édouard Geffray acknowledged his alarm at the outbreaks of violence in recent days. In an attempt to appease student anger, the ministry announced the opening of "a national consultation on secondary education", open from October 5 to 23 on the Afora platform. "Students will be able to share their difficulties, expectations and suggestions to improve their education," read a statement.
The minister's first meeting with the unions, last week, ended in a lack of agreement. Students denounce the lack of teachers, overcrowded classes, obsolete facilities, rigid schedules, precarious study conditions and social discrimination in access to higher education.
