From inside the protests to Habertürk: How is the atmosphere in France?

A student studying in Lyon, one of the cities where protests continued most violently in France, conveyed to Habertürk the atmosphere in the city and the current state of the protests.

Stating that the protests started by high school students in September have gradually grown and the rest of the population has joined the protests by adding their own demands, the student stated that the media organs dominated by the far right in France are focusing on the violent incidents rather than the demands of the society.

The statements of the French administrators also focus on the results of violence rather than the actual causes of the protests; Stating that in this way, the starting point of the protests has moved away from being a matter of discussion, the student resident of Lyon emphasizes that their demands are the right to quality education for everyone.

According to the source speaking to Habertürk, 1 in every 10 schools in the country is dilapidated. There are also serious hygiene problems such as cockroaches and mice. There is a shortage of teachers in more than half of the country's schools. There are students who complete 1 year of education without seeing a mathematics teacher.

The situation is not much different for university students; According to La Relève et la Peste, 1 in 5 students have to skip meals.

Stating that the socio-economic difference within the country is striking, the protester states that children of immigrant families face serious inequality in all areas of education compared to children from wealthy regions.

The student, who participated in the protests and said that their demands were mostly voiced in a peaceful atmosphere, states that one of the reasons why the protests have grown so much is police violence. France is the only country in Europe that allows the use of deafening grenades. This causes many serious injuries.

Stating that there are still serious gaps between the demands of the protesters and the government's view of these demands, the student emphasizes that these gaps are the reason for the violent incidents in the country. It is clear that in order for the violence to end, both the state and the society must reach a social peace agreement again.

Ongoing protests in France

High school students in France have been protesting for about a month, complaining about poor quality and unhygienic schools, insufficient teachers and dysfunctional systems.

As a result of the government's failure to meet the demands of high school students and the harsh intervention of the French police, large segments of society participated in the protests.

The Prime Ministry announced that a curfew will be imposed in certain parts of the cities of Lille, Douai and Wattignies.

In the statement made by the Governorship of Lyon, it was announced that a curfew will be imposed from 21.00 to 06.00. In the statement, it was stated that some segments of the public who practice their profession, such as MPs and journalists, will not be included in the scope of the ban.

Additionally, it was noted that demonstrations were prohibited in some public areas in Lyon between 18.00 and 21.00.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu instructed governors to impose a partial curfew in some places in the country starting this evening, following the weekend demonstrations that included scenes of violence and looting.