France arrests about 5,000 amid student protests and union mobilisation
About 5,000 people, most of them minors, have been arrested in France after nationwide high-school protests over overcrowding, staff shortages, inequality and deteriorating facilities. Around 400 schools have closed, while the CGT union has urged workers to join demonstrations planned for Tuesday, increasing pressure on the government.
About 5,000 people have been arrested in France following days of high-school protests over conditions in the country’s education system, according to the Interior Ministry. About 85 per cent of those detained are minors. Around 400 schools have also been closed after demonstrations, blockades, clashes with police and attacks on school facilities.
Further protests are expected on Tuesday, when union-led demonstrations are planned in support of the students. The CGT labour union has called on workers to join the demonstrations, raising the prospect that the unrest could expand beyond schools. The government is facing pressure to restore public order while addressing complaints about inequality, overcrowding, teacher shortages and deteriorating buildings.
The protests began in the Paris region in mid-September after teachers and students mobilised against staff shortages at a high school in Créteil. They later spread to schools in cities and smaller towns across France. Students say the education system is underfunded and overstretched.
Complaints include overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities, long school days and differences in the quality of education available in poorer and more affluent areas. Violence has accompanied some demonstrations. Barricades were built in Strasbourg, while clashes and fires were reported at some locations.
Police said about 2,000 people were taken into custody during protests on Thursday alone. Authorities said more than 170 students and 78 staff members had been injured, while hundreds of police officers had also suffered injuries. Two students reportedly sustained serious injuries after allegedly being hit by crowd-control rounds.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said the unrest had moved beyond student demonstrations and had become a public-order issue. Amnesty International accused security forces of disproportionate force against minors, while the Interior Ministry opened three investigations into alleged police violence. Police defended their response as necessary and proportionate.
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