Student crisis in France: More than 600 arrested after intense days of protests
France is going through a moment of high social tension following a new day of student mobilizations that has left a provisional toll of 600 people detained. The situation, which has escalated in recent days, has also caused the closure of 400 high schools throughout the national territory, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the country’s educational centers.
The Minister of Education, Édouard Geffray, confirmed the number of affected high schools, while authorities report incidents of violence and acts of vandalism, including arson in educational centers located in various districts of Paris.
Government measures against violence
Given the severity of the riots, the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, has taken decisive measures. The official has requested that prosecutors hold parents civilly liable for the material damage caused by their children during the protests. Likewise, the toll of injured is concerning: more than 300 police officers and gendarmes, along with 60 teachers and administrative staff, have been injured in the clashes.
The Government has directly pointed to certain sectors of the opposition, accusing figures from the La France Insoumise party of inciting the escalation of violence in the streets.
Demands of the student movement
The origin of this conflict lies in a series of student demands that have spread rapidly from the Paris region to the rest of the country. Among the main demands of the movement are:
- Substantial improvement in current educational conditions.
- End to the suppression of university positions.
- Review and end to budget cuts in the scholarship system.
Although the French Executive has proposed the creation of a dialogue platform to debate these issues, student unions have rejected the offer for the moment, maintaining their stance of continuing with the blockades of educational centers until their demands are met with concrete solutions.
