France, increasingly violent student protests: school administrators attacked in Marseille

Student demonstrations in France are becoming increasingly violent. The situation degenerated this morning in Marseille, where according to local media and the regional authority "'the principal, the vice-principal, the general secretary and another head of the school team were attacked inside the institute and doused with petrol". The Région Paca (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur), in a note sent to the press, denounced violent incidents in front of the Lycée Victor Hugo in the city on the southern French coast. In light of the violence resulting from protests and student blockades across France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, as announced by the Prime Minister's Cabinet, will chair an inter-ministerial crisis summit at 1pm at the Ministry of the Interior in Paris.

“Act Two”

The student protests, which began about a week ago, involved over 350 schools in the country in just a few days. The Union syndicale lycéenne (USL) has launched an appeal to stage an ''act two'' of the mobilization today, 1 October, and for another day of action on Tuesday 6 October. The students, supported by the three main student organizations (Fage, Union étudiante and Unef) who are inciting new demonstrations and blockades, are protesting to demand the replacement of absent teachers, an increase in resources, the renovation of schools and ''decent'' learning conditions.

Arrests and injuries

From the first days, the demonstrations were marked by clashes and violence. According to the Ministry of the Interior, yesterday alone, 625 arrests were made. Since the blockades began, at least 119 students and staff have been injured while 83 officers have been injured. The Police Inspectorate was tasked with carrying out three investigations following the injuries of some students during protests in Sevran (Seine-Saint-Denis), Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône (Val-d'Oise) and Tours. The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, for his part, said that the police intervened "with great proportionality".

Violence in various cities

The protests have spread to various cities in every part of France. In Marseille, where the principal and other employees of a school were doused with petrol, a fire truck was surrounded and then set on fire by students rioting in front of the Lycée Saint-Exupéry. Clashes also occurred in Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris, and in Nantes where, as reported by the French media, the Nelson Mandela high school was hit by fire. The mobilization, started by schools, is also extending to universities, such as the Saint-Denis campus of Université Paris VIII, which has been blocked since this morning. Public transport was interrupted and the police arrived on the scene, also using tear gas to disperse the crowd. Day of violence also in Lille, where French riot police clashed with protesting students.