Student Protests Escalate as Adults Join In
Student protests continued in France with adults joining in, amid clashes in Lyon and Strasbourg, while Lecornu emphasized zero tolerance for violence.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Paris, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- Student protests in France continued on Tuesday, with thousands of students once again closing their high schools, while adults joined marches in support of the demonstrations that have been ongoing for two weeks. Local media and the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported clashes between protesters and police in the cities of Lyon and Strasbourg, and it is expected that around 40,000 people will take part in protests in the capital, Paris.
The agency added that one of the key demands of the protest movement focuses on school conditions, noting that several school buildings are in a state of severe disrepair, and some facilities pose safety risks to students. AFP quoted a high school student as saying that students “only want better educational conditions,” pointing out shortages of desks and chairs in some classrooms and poor conditions in school facilities, including restrooms.
A teacher at a school in Toulouse, in southwestern France, also affirmed that students and school staff share the same demands: providing teachers for classrooms, maintaining buildings, and improving working conditions. He added that successive heatwaves that hit the country this summer also contributed to the protests, as “schools are not equipped to cope with high temperatures.”
For his part, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stressed that there is no room for tolerance toward acts of violence during the protests, stating that “excessive violence has knocked on the doors of high schools” and must be condemned unconditionally. In a speech to police officials, Lecornu dismissed claims of “political orders to suppress the police” as outright lies, warning that the situation is dangerous enough and does not need a “cowardly political class that fuels violence and orchestrates chaos for electoral purposes.”
Many French cities and towns witnessed a massive wave of student protests in late September, some of which were marked by violent incidents and vandalism, affecting thousands of high schools and several universities. Trade unions and political parties also joined the demonstrations. (End) M.B./A.M.S.
