More than 2,000 people have been arrested in France after violence and looting broke out during mass protests over the weekend.
Authorities estimate around 550,000 people took part in the demonstrations, with hundreds of police officers injured and one officer killed in the unrest.
The protests follow weeks of student-led demonstrations over poor school conditions, which have since converged with wider anger over the cost of living.
President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, saying “nothing excuses” violence while promising transparency over the police response.
Background
France’s public schools have faced longstanding issues, including teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and ageing buildings.
The protests began on 21 September at Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, south-east of Paris, where teachers went on strike over unfilled positions.
Students joined the demonstrations the following day.
The movement soon spread beyond the school, with demonstrations and blockades reported across the country.
By 6 October, students, teachers, parents and unions had joined a nationwide day of action.
Unions estimated that 450,000 people took part that day, while the French Interior Ministry put the figure closer to 250,000.
Hundreds of high schools were also fully or partially closed as the protests escalated.
The police response has also drawn scrutiny after a 15-year-old reportedly lost a hand in an incident involving a police grenade, raising questions about the use of crowd-control weapons.
Lecornu told his ministers to address the students’ main demands and present initial proposals by the end of October.
He also promised to make Parcoursup more transparent.
Student groups said he didn’t address their list of demands.
By mid October, Lecornu said the student mobilisation had become a “movement of urban violence”.
His government accused the radical-left party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) of hijacking the movement.
Demands
In early October, a group of student unions published a list of demands, including:
Repairs and better insulation for run-down school and university buildings
A large-scale teacher recruitment drive
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An end to Parcoursup, the online system used to apply for university courses
Meals capped at €1 for all students
An end to police violence against student protesters, with officers who use violence prosecuted
Latest
Trade unions organised a nationwide day of protest over the cost of living on Saturday, with student groups also taking part.
Authorities estimated that 550,000 people joined the demonstrations, while organisers put the figure at 800,000, including 110,000 in Paris.
While many demonstrations began peacefully, violence broke out later in the day, with groups looting shops and setting fires.
In Limoges, the city’s 143-year-old town hall was largely destroyed after rioters set fire to the building.
Hundreds of businesses were looted in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.
France’s Interior Ministry said more than 2,000 people had been arrested and at least 600 police officers injured.
A 22-year-old police officer was killed in Nantes after being struck by a vehicle.
The National Police condemned the violence, saying: “These acts of violence are unacceptable. They represent a defiance of authority.”
Responses
In an address to the nation on Sunday night, Macron said a distinction must be made between protesters’ “legitimate demands” and those “who destroyed, vandalized and looted”.
“Those who have destroyed must pay,” he said, adding that “nothing excuses” violence.
Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said France was experiencing “a profound crisis of trust, of authority that poses a threat to democracy”.
International
The protests have resonated with students and educators across Europe.
In Italy, students began occupying high schools under the slogan “Let’s do as in France”.
Meanwhile, protests in Milan and Bologna turned violent over the weekend.
In Berlin, students blocked high school entrances in solidarity with French protesters, while opposing education funding cuts and plans to reintroduce compulsory military service.
In Madrid, teachers began an indefinite strike over pay, class sizes and working conditions.
