France Braces for National Protests After Student Injuries, Mass Arrests Over Education

France is preparing for a national day of protests on Tuesday, October 6, as a youth movement demanding increased investment in education gathers momentum across the country. The planned demonstrations follow a week of unrest marked by blockades at hundreds of schools, numerous arrests, and several serious injuries, including a 15-year-old boy who lost a hand today.

Thousands of students, trade unionists, teachers, public sector workers, and parents' groups are expected to participate in marches across France on Tuesday, according to The Guardian. The Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), a key organizer, has called for a nationwide day of action in response to what it describes as "political deadlock and what we describe as unprecedented repression of the movement," the BBC reported.

Serious Injuries Amid Protests

Today, a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a confrontation near a high school in Lens, a town in northern France. The teenager was protesting against what demonstrators have described as France’s dilapidated and understaffed schools, according to The Guardian. François-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, stated that between 150 and 200 protesters were throwing objects at police when riot officers intervened. Lauch did not comment on the exact circumstances of the injury but confirmed an investigation had been opened. Officials stated the injury was not life-threatening, the BBC reported.

This incident follows other reports of severe injuries. Last week, a 16-year-old school pupil in Tours lost sight in his right eye. His family has filed a complaint alleging police violence, and the state prosecutor indicated that the boy’s injuries were consistent with the impact from a police rubber bullet. A police investigation is currently underway, according to The Guardian.

Also last week, 14-year-old Eden was reportedly struck on the head by a tear gas grenade in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, suffering a double jaw fracture and requiring major surgery. Speaking at a news conference today, Eden's mother described her heart as "shattered," telling French media outlet BFMTV that the incident was "shameful, it's appalling, it's violent, it's horrific." She added, "This should not happen. They are dealing with children who are asking for better conditions in which to study," the BBC reported.

Scale of the Movement and Government Response

The protests, which began in late September at a high school in a Paris suburb over teacher shortages, have since spread nationwide, fueled by anger over social inequality and perceived underinvestment in the education system, The Guardian reported. Students are protesting a range of issues, including overcrowded classrooms, run-down buildings, and a lack of teachers, according to the BBC.

On Monday, between 400 and 500 high schools out of a total of 3,700 were expected to be completely or partly closed, according to France’s minister for higher education, Philippe Baptiste, as reported by The Guardian. The French education minister stated that more than 500 schools were partially or totally closed by protests today, the BBC reported.

University students have also joined the movement, with up to 40 university buildings blockaded across France on Monday, The Guardian stated. Philippe Baptiste expressed concern to French radio that student and high school protests could intensify with the national demonstrations planned for Tuesday.

Since last Monday, approximately 5,000 people, predominantly teenagers, have been arrested across France, and dozens have been injured, according to The Guardian. The BBC reported over 5,000 arrests and at least 190 students injured. France's justice ministry stated that of the 5,060 people arrested since the movement began, 87% were minors and 13% were adults. Fourteen individuals have reportedly been placed in pre-trial detention, and 1,802 people are facing prosecution, including 319 adults and 1,483 minors, the BBC added.

Teachers have also sustained injuries, and damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros, The Guardian reported. Education Minister Édouard Geffray noted that 24 schools have been "burned and ransacked" since the start of the protests, according to the BBC.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has attempted to de-escalate the situation, acknowledging schoolchildren’s grievances as "legitimate" and stating the government must listen, The Guardian reported. He ordered ministers to address students’ five major demands, which include organizing the replacement of absent teachers, reviewing France’s lengthy school days, and repairing dilapidated school buildings. Lecornu called for ministers to present proposals by the end of the month, The Guardian stated.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Lecornu announced measures to "address the difficulties faced by secondary school students and education staff," promising "visible changes" in schools. However, he also emphasized, "We will make no concessions to violence. We stand by students and staff who have been assaulted, as well as police officers and gendarmes who have been injured," the BBC reported. A government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, told CNews television today that "Our priority is to restore order," according to The Guardian.

Reactions and Political Tensions

Sophie Binet, head of the left-wing CGT trade union, criticized the government for being slow to address the schoolchildren’s demands. She highlighted that the number of absent teachers not being replaced has doubled in 10 years, and class sizes are at a record high. "Amid such anger, a few measures just for show aren’t going to satisfy demands," Binet said, calling for an end to budget cuts and cuts to teachers’ positions. She also criticized heavy policing, stating, "We’ve been appalled by what we have seen over the past 10 days and by the unprecedented crackdown that the government has organised against the protests by high school students," The Guardian reported.

The USL has accused police of using excessive force against protesters, although Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated last week that demonstrations had been policed "in an extremely proportionate manner," the BBC reported.

The protests and the authorities' response have become heavily politicized. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party, described the movement as the "most powerful high school and university student youth movement" since 1968, a year of significant unrest in France, according to the BBC. Mélenchon has blamed the police for "abuses of power" and urged people to take to the streets to "protect the youth demonstrations."

Conversely, the government and hard-right politicians have accused LFI of fueling the protests. Prime Minister Lecornu called LFI "irresponsible" for encouraging the movement's expansion. Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally, asserted that the situation was "no longer about high school student protests" but "riots organised by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise," advocating for a new anti-rioting law, the BBC reported.

The left-wing mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, condemned the "unacceptable violence" in his city. While acknowledging that young people were "legitimately concerned" about their future and public services, he urged them to express themselves calmly, the BBC added.

Outlook for Tuesday

As France anticipates the national day of protest on Tuesday, trade unionists, including those from the CGT, plan to march to help ensure there is no violence at the edges of the demonstrations, The Guardian reported. The teachers' union SNES-FSU has also urged its members to join Tuesday's protest, according to the BBC.