French officials say they’re listening to protestors. Here’s why they’re not stopping.

French Officials Say They’re Listening as Student Protests Continue

Healfromzero.com – French officials say they re listening to high school students after a forceful police response to protests across the country. The government has barred police from using the type of stun grenade linked to a teenager losing a hand during demonstrations on Monday, while ministers have promised to hear students’ concerns. Yet hundreds of schools remain affected by blockades, and further protests are planned.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said President Emmanuel Macron had called for more “empathy” and “pedagogy” from police dealing with student protesters. After an emergency ministerial meeting, Nunez told RTL that officers must maintain order and respond to serious violence, but do so with the greatest possible proportionality.

Nunez, a former Paris police chief, said he had instructed police not to use the grenade type associated with the teenager’s injury. He also stressed that authorities should not handle a movement of high school students in the same way as protests involving adults.

Government Offers Dialogue and Education Measures

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said high schools would replace lessons until the end of the week with a “period of internal democracy,” allowing students to discuss grievances and possible solutions. While he rejected claims of police repression, Lecornu condemned violence that occurred on the margins of demonstrations, which were largely peaceful on Tuesday.

In a Wednesday address to the nation, Lecornu said parliament would debate a November 12 budget proposal that includes 64 billion euros ($71.6 billion) for education, a slight increase from the previous year. He also outlined five initiatives intended to address student needs, including school renovations, changes to schedules and additional opportunities for students to voice concerns.

“We have a duty to listen to them,” Lecornu said, adding that taking young people seriously means supporting their engagement while also sharing the difficulties and constraints facing the government.

French officials say they re listening, but student representatives argue that dialogue has not yet addressed their central demands. The government’s approach echoes Macron’s previous use of public consultation during the Yellow Vests protests in 2019.

Why School Blockades and Demonstrations Are Continuing

Nunez said police internal investigators had opened 18 inquiries into officers’ conduct during the protests. The investigations will examine whether police actions were proportionate. He said police were present to protect high school students.

More than 500 educational institutions were expected to be partly or fully closed because of blockades on Wednesday, according to the education ministry. That represented a 41% decline from Tuesday, while the ministry said 86% of schools would remain open. The interior ministry reported that 488 people were detained in connection with Tuesday’s high school protests.

Although Wednesday’s school blockades involved fewer people than the hundreds of thousands who joined workers’ union marches on Tuesday, students have continued organizing day after day. Student unions called for another protest day on October 17, and five major teaching unions said they would strike Thursday in solidarity with students.

Students are calling for more teachers, smaller classes and school buildings better adapted to the climate. Student union leaders have also requested a 10-billion-euro ($11.2-billion) investment in high school and university education.

A 10-point proposal from student unions includes changes to student workloads, an end to the disputed university admissions system, an end to police violence against students and more student accommodation. Sabrine Kharbach, a spokesperson for the Student Union federation of unionized students, told BFMTV that blockades would continue until the demands were met.

Anaïs Ella, spokesperson for the student association Les Lycéens, told CNN that Lecornu had not addressed the demands presented by student unions. She said proposals such as filling teaching posts in exam-year classes amounted to “the basics of the education system,” and argued that funding alone would not resolve the deeper problem in relations between students and the government.

“We are the ones most directly affected by the national education system, yet we aren’t actually listened to,” Ella said.

FAQ: France’s High School Protests

Why are students protesting in France?

Students are seeking more teachers, smaller class sizes, climate-adapted school buildings, changes to workloads, more accommodation and reforms to the university admissions system. They have also raised concerns about police conduct during demonstrations.

What has the French government said in response?

French officials say they re listening through school discussions, education initiatives and proposed funding. The government has also said police should act proportionately and that the grenade type connected to a student’s injury should not be used.

Are schools still being blocked?

Yes. Blockades continued on Wednesday, though the education ministry said the number of affected institutions had fallen from the previous day. Student unions have called for further demonstrations, and teaching unions have announced strike action in support of students.