Student protests in France, clashes in Paris. Greta Thunberg among the protesters

Greta Thunberg in Paris

Greta Thunberg also joined the student protests today, having come specifically to Paris to support high school students. "Young people are not involved in the discussions. They are stealing our future and, as we have seen here, schools are not receiving the investments they need," said the 23-year-old Swedish activist who appeared in front of the Paul-Eluard high school in Saint-Denis, where around twenty lawyers met to form a human chain in suits and ties to protect the students. "What should we do? Give up? Of course not. That's exactly what people are expressing here: we will not give up and we will fight for this future that is being taken away before our eyes." Thunberg then said she was "proud of French students" and denounced an "extremely violent" police force that does not protect young people.

The mobilizations in Paris

High school students have called for a new national day of mobilization for today, while the government hopes for a slowdown in the movement as the school holidays approach. In Paris, the procession of university and high school students marches from Place d'Italie to Les Invalides, not far from Matignon and the Ministry of Education. "They don't listen to us, we will go to them", announced the Union étudiante on X, while for days the student organizations have been asking to be received by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. An appeal for another unauthorized demonstration, from the Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville) towards Matignon, is also circulating on social media in the capital.

Protests in other French cities

Overall, 161,500 people marched in France today, of which 41,500 in Paris divided into two marches. This was announced by the Ministry of the Interior. In fact, demonstrations also took place in other French cities such as Reims, Marseille, Pau, Toulon, Lyon, Orléans, Brest, Lorient, Nantes or Clermont-Ferrand. "Numerous blockades are underway in several high schools in Strasbourg," the Police Nationale wrote in X, citing traffic disruptions and asking motorists to avoid the areas affected by the protests.

Minister of Education: "About 200 high schools closed"

Around 200 high schools remained closed due to today's demonstrations. This was said by the French Minister of Education Édouard Geffray, reporting a "decrease compared to previous weeks". "It is also logical - he observed - given that some institutions are located along the routes of the demonstrations, or very close to them, and therefore close to avoid damage; in fact, therefore, we are faced with a decrease compared to past weeks". Strike also in universities: as reported by the Union étudiante union, 90% of French universities are "closed" or "blocked". Meanwhile, the president of the Assemblée Nationale Yael Braun-Pivet underlined the need to listen to student demands. "The government's response is interesting but we must continue, continue to dialogue with these youth", he specified, reiterating that "we must listen to them, talk to them".

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Protests in France, student demonstrations continue