“A fiery week” in France.. Students expand the protest and request a meeting with Le Corno

Listen to the article. The audio text is automated, generated by an automated system

Associations representing high school students in France called for a meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, on the eve of new demonstrations scheduled for Thursday, at a time when the government is intensifying its initiatives to contain a student movement that began in the suburbs of Paris in late September in protest against poor educational conditions, and raises fears of expanding social unrest seven months before the presidential elections.

The students denounce the poor condition of the buildings, the overcrowding of the classrooms, and the lack of replacements for absent teachers, especially in popular neighborhoods. They also demand the cancellation of the educational guidance platform “Parkorsop,” a demand rejected by the Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste.

Locorno announced in a televised speech on Wednesday evening that his government would move “practically,” explaining that the next budget includes an additional 1.2 billion euros for education, but he ruled out responding to demands for a significant increase in spending, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Riad Rani, head of the Secondary School Students’ Union, said that the students have proposals supported by numbers, calling for a meeting with the Prime Minister starting next week. For his part, Locorno announced that the government's first decisions will be presented in late October, considering that the youth's anger did not come out of nowhere and that their concerns require consideration.

The government's promises include increasing the number of substitute teachers, repairing buildings, adjusting class schedules, improving the university admission system, and involving students more in decision-making. However, education unions demanded an increase in spending by 10 billion euros, at a time when the government is preparing to approve an austerity budget while seeking to reduce the high public debt.

Locorno had announced the allocation of half-day free school periods, starting Wednesday, to allow an “internal democratic time” in which students and employees raise difficulties at the level of each institution. However, the initiative was not well received by many students, as a student named Clara, a pseudonym, saw that the government “does not take students seriously.” The largest union of directors of educational institutions also rejects the decision, and demands a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in the presence of students.

Since the beginning of the movement on September 28, 215 students, 89 teachers, and 761 policemen and gendarmes have been injured, and 6,629 people have been arrested, according to Locorno, who indicated that 18 investigations had been opened, and confirmed that the security forces had not received instructions to clash with the students.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the suspension of the use of stun grenades, after reports that a 15-year-old demonstrator had his hand amputated due to one of them. He defended his approach to maintaining order before the General Assembly, denying any change in his position.

The intensity of the demonstrations decreased on Wednesday, with the resumption of studies in a large part of the institutions, as 459 institutions witnessed a complete or partial suspension of classes, compared to 891 on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Education. 55% of French people support the movement, according to a poll conducted for BFMTV.

The unrest spread to higher education, where 40% of institutions witnessed unrest on Tuesday, according to the ministry, while the Institute of Political Studies in Paris witnessed limited protests. Batiste met with union officials, but they withdrew from the meeting in protest against an insufficient budget for the sector in 2027 and in solidarity with the movement. Sabrine Kharbash, spokeswoman for the Student Union, said that the meeting was “talking in the air” for an hour.

It is expected to organize a large gathering in Place de la Bastille in Paris, in addition to gatherings in the suburbs of the capital and other cities. A student in his final year, who chose a pseudonym, described the coming days as a “black week” until Saturday.