Protests Close Hundreds of French Schools as Student Sustains Serious Hand Injury in Clashes
- On Monday, Education Minister Edouard Geffray ordered lessons suspended at between 400 and 500 high schools across France, citing unmet security conditions after nearly three weeks of student blockades and protests.
- Students across France have protested since mid-September over overcrowded classrooms with up to 35 pupils, teacher shortages, dilapidated buildings and long school days, with tens of thousands demonstrating in cities including Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours and Lille.
- Violent clashes have resulted in more than 5,000 arrests, about 85 percent of them minors, while 78 education staff members were injured and 24 schools burned or ransacked since the movement began.
- Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu vowed not to "yield an inch to violence" and pledged to accelerate a casseur-payer bill making those responsible for property damage liable for repair costs, as Geffray alleged far-left activists infiltrated the movement.
- Protest organizers called for continued demonstrations Tuesday, October 6, dubbed Act III, while teaching unions including the CGT, CFDT and FSU scheduled a national strike for the same day, citing lack of concrete government measures.
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475 Articles
French Teen Loses Hand After Police Use Grenade Amid Student Protests
A teenager lost his hand in France after a police grenade exploded during widespread student protests on Monday, amid mounting reports of violence by officers. The 15-year-old boy was injured outside Auguste-Béhal high school in the northern town of Lens, in Pas-de-Calais, where riot police had been deployed after protesters reportedly threw objects at officers. […]
France student protests turn violent: Teen loses hand after police grenade explodes
A teenager lost his hand after a police grenade exploded during high school protests in Lens, France. Over 5,000 arrests have been made as unrest spreads nationwide over school underfunding
Follow the images in El Debate from 13:45
Melissa Bell France faces great difficulties in containing the biggest student protests of recent decades. What began as a demonstration in support of teachers on strike in an institute outside Paris has become a national crisis. Hundreds of schools have been forced to close and
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