France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has warned that any escalation in the current wave of student protests would be "irresponsible," following the arrests of 164 people on Monday. The demonstrations, which began in Paris, have involved teenagers blockading their schools for days, stemming from issues including overcrowded classes and teacher shortages. Lecornu cited reported incidents at protests in a post on X, stating: "Fireworks, fires, violence near high schools: nothing justifies endangering students, staff, or police officers."
A French union representing high school students described the protests as a "legitimate response" to their conditions. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 12 members of the security forces, 12 students, and three school staff were injured on Monday, while 180 schools were affected. He did not provide further details on those arrested.
The protests at French lycées, equivalent to sixth form in the UK or high school in the US, began last week in the Île-de-France region around Paris. Incidents of vandalism were reported, along with fireworks aimed at police, and the protests have spread to other regions in France. According to the AFP news agency, four high schools were reported to have been blockaded in the southern regions of Alpes-Maritimes and Var, with protests also reported in Marseille, the northern Lille area, and Sedan in the north-eastern Ardennes.
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne defended the protests on social media, citing issues such as a lack of teachers and staff, dilapidated schools, overcrowded schedules, and stress caused by Parcoursup, the platform used for students to apply to higher education. The union called on students to blockade schools on Tuesday in defense of "their rights and against budget austerity."
On the same day, unions representing teachers, hospital staff, and civil servants also called for a day of walkouts to protest low wages and working conditions. In response to the student movement, Lecornu stated that "the difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed," but emphasized that "violence must be condemned unequivocally, and its perpetrators must answer for their actions."
The prime minister accused the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of urging students to expand the movement. LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon blamed the Lecornu government for having "ordered the crackdown" on the protest, asserting that the participating high school students were "harmless."
Nuñez characterized the demonstrations and blockades as "not very typical protest movements," suggesting they resembled urban violence, with individuals masked and equipped with fireworks and projectiles, indicating a desire to confront security forces rather than make demands.
Since the protests began, several incidents of violence between students and police officers have been reported. In one incident, a police officer reportedly fired a round from a grenade launcher used for crowd control, injuring a high school student, according to France's BFMTV. Investigations into these incidents have been launched.