France students plan more protests as UN voice 'concern'

Students in France were largely back in the classroom today following days of protests demanding better education and school conditions, as the UN voiced "concern" over the sometimes-violent clashes.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across France since students in late September began blocking entrances to high schools, which led to squads of riot police being deployed.

The students - most aged 15 to 18 - have complained of absent teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.

More than 6,800 people have been detained since the start of the demonstrations, of whom 86% are minors, the justice ministry said today.

A government source told journalists that the cost for damage caused by the demonstrations was "at least €30 million".

The United Nations said today that it was watching the events "with concern" and urged people on all sides to remain peaceful.

"We are following with concern incidents related to the student protests and high school blockades in France, some of which have turned violent," said Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the UN human rights agency.

While the demonstrations have been largely peaceful, some protesters have started fires and vandalised bus shelters.

In response, police have used tear gas, batons and blast balls, leading to accusations from rights groups and the students themselves of a disproportionate use of force.

Police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct.

After a 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday after police fired a stun grenade, the government has suspended the use of the weapon.

'Marked slowdown'

The government source said today that the authorities were seeing a "marked slowdown" in the movement and told journalists that most of the injured high school students "were not hurt by police action (but were) students who injured themselves accidentally" during the protests.

But many students said they were not relenting. Organisers have called for large-scale demonstrations next week.

"We're saving our energy for next week," said one 16-year-old student in the southwestern city of Toulouse.

Alice, a high school student in the southern port city of Marseille, said the education minister's announcements "are a first step but they're not enough".

Student union representative Marius Mesnil said, "we're being offered a few crumbs", while calling for another wave of demonstrations Tuesday.

Yesterday evening in the capital Paris, police said they had used tear gas in Bastille square to disperse some "high-risk profiles".

In a bid to placate the anger, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced late Thursday that some 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed in the coming days to replace absent staff at the 114 worst-affected high schools.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has also promised a plan to respond to the crisis by the end of October, while Economy Minister Roland Lescure said there was room to address demands for more school resources within the highly constrained 2027 budget.

In the current draft budget, education has the second largest increase in funding - after defence - with a boost of 1.4% to €90.9 billion.

Of the 3,700 high schools across France, called lycées, only 141 were closed today, the education ministry said.

Last week, some 800 schools had closed due to the protests.

Earlier, a French junior minister said there is a "climate of discontent" among the public over high energy costs and cost-of-living pressures, which has led to the violent protests.

France's Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad Éléonore Caroit said she has seen "disturbing" and "heartbreaking" images from the rioting.

Ms Caroit is in Dublin for a meeting of EU development ministers.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said: "The government is investigating all the actions and the claims.

"At this stage, there is a really clear instruction to use only proportionate measures when it comes to preserving order in France."

She said the French government wants to bring back peace and to respond to the demands of the students "when they are legitimate".

"There is a mass of demands but now we have a series of really clear requests and concerns," she said, adding that the "situation is calming".