French PM Warns Against Student Violence as Public Sector Strike Kicks Off
Lecornu said 164 arrests were made as students blockaded schools and public-sector workers struck over a pay freeze before the budget unveiling.
- On Tuesday, The Union Syndicale Lyceenne urged a nationwide blockade of French high schools, joining public sector walkouts as students protest overcrowded classes, heavy workloads, and teacher shortages that have persisted since last week.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported 164 arrests and 180 schools affected on Monday, characterizing the unrest as 'urban violence' involving masked individuals with fireworks; 12 security officers, 12 students, and three staff members were injured.
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray condemned a 'political hijacking of the blockades by elected officials from France Unbowed,' while party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the government of repressing students with 'ferocity' and 'an unmistakably racist undertone.'
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote on social media that 'nothing justifies endangering students, staff, or police officers,' as repair costs for 15 vandalized high schools reached an estimated €200,000 and Interior Minister Nunez declared 'we cannot tolerate excesses.'
- This standoff occurs seven months before the presidential election, pitting the government against France Unbowed; the LFI-run Saint-Denis city hall stated student demands were 'legitimate,' while Lecornu faces a divided parliament over 2027 budget spending cuts.
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13 Articles
Student protests and French public sector strike heap pressure on Macron
PARIS, Sept 29 - French civil servants went on strike on Tuesday and high school students blocked the entrances to schools in a show of discontent with planned budget cuts ahead of next year's presidential election. Read more at straitstimes.com.
French PM warns against student violence as public sector strike kicks off
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has warned against an escalation of the demonstrations in secondary schools, which have broken out ahead of a nationwide strike by public-sector workers. More than 100 pupils were arrested on Monday during violent clashes with police. It comes amid mounting anger over the national budget, which is due to be unveiled on Thursday.
Reformatorisch Dagblad
Police and students clashed in the center of Lille, among other places, following a national day of protest declared by a French student union. The union had called for the blocking of secondary schools.
Barricades, morning gatherings and tensions mark this new day of protest in the high schools of Hexagon. In line with the national appeal of the officials, the Union syndicale scolaire accentuates the...
Public sector union rallies and students paralyze France today - Tensions and police forces outside schoolsMore...
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