Blocked and damaged high schools: between 25 and 30 million euros in damage in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

“We are between 25 and 30 million euros” in damage for the high schools of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after the blockages of recent days, figure Friday October 2 on franceinfo the LR president of the regional council, Fabrice Pannekoucke. Damages committed on “the establishments, the surroundings of the establishments, the vehicles, which were attacked”, he lists.

Friday, "93 high schools are closed out of a little more than 300, or a third" of educational establishments, estimates Fabrice Pannekoucke, "around the metropolises, including Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Étienne and to a lesser extent near Clermont-Ferrand". The Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray, indicated Thursday evening that a little more than 400 establishments will be closed to protect students.

“Confuse the perpetrators” and make them pay

“The first subject of what concerns us today in the public space is not the high school students, it is the thugs,” affirms the elected representative of Les Républicains, calling for “dissociating the two subjects”. “That the minister listens to high school students is normal and we do it here in our region as well,” he emphasizes. Édouard Geffray is due to receive on Friday the union organizations representing staff, parent associations, high school associations and elected officials from the National Council for High School Life.

Fabrice Pannekoucke is now calling for people who have damaged high schools, sometimes recent ones, to be identified and made to pay. He takes the example of the Honoré-d'Urfé high school in Saint-Étienne, where "we have just spent 55 million euros on renovations". “We must confuse the perpetrators”, wishes the regional president. CCTV images and videos posted on social networks are being analyzed.

“Each euro of damage must become a euro of penalty. The taxpayer cannot be called upon for events like these.”

Fabrice Pannekoucke, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council

at franceinfo

The Horizons president of the Grand Est region, Franck Leroy, estimates on ICI Alsace that "the amount of damage across the region is probably close to a million euros today".

“Nothing justifies such violence”, for the president of the Grand Est region

The elected representative of the regional majority says he hears the concerns expressed by certain high school students, in particular on the difficulties linked to Parcoursup, busy schedules, transport or conditions in establishments. But "nothing justifies such violence", he believes. However, he also calls for "to distinguish between the movement of concern of certain high school students, which is perfectly legitimate, and a desire to break".

“There are extremist political movements behind this, and LFI is one of them, which aim to exploit part of the youth,” accuses Franck Leroy. According to him, "a certain number of young high school students are manipulated by the far left, where others have concerns that are real." He reports “broken high school doors”, “attempts to penetrate into guard boxes” and “damaged facades”. He mentions “a diversity of situations which have nothing to do with student or high school demands”.

Asked about the requests from high school students concerning in particular the number of toilets or measures against heat in establishments, Franck Leroy ensures that he hears “expectations in terms of comfort”.

“We are not going to burn down a high school because indeed, there are damaged toilets, which toilets were damaged by high school students themselves.”

Franck Leroy, president of the Grand Est region

at ICI Alsace

The president of the Grand Est region recalls that it is investing 241 million euros this year in high schools, particularly for thermal comfort, school restaurants and toilets. He emphasizes that damage has also taken place "in establishments which are almost new and where there is not a teacher missing". “Strasbourg, Mulhouse are unfortunately proof of this,” he concluded.

Several high schools were blocked this week in Strasbourg and Mulhouse. 36 police custody cases were in progress Thursday evening in Bas-Rhin, while the Haut-Rhin prefecture counted 25, according to ICI Alsace. In Mulhouse, the police were stone-thrown and mortar fired and used tear gas to disperse the crowd.