France braces for fresh nationwide student demonstrations

In France new nationwide demonstrations supporting students who have been protesting poor classroom conditions for weeks are to take place today, with authorities and participants wary of further violence.

The mobilisation, backed by unions and the far-left opposition France Unbowed party, includes a march through Paris.

It follows demonstrations last week that saw more than 70,000 people take to the streets across France, with about 500 people arrested.

French authorities had been hoping that the student protest movement that started in late September was starting to ease, ahead of half-term holidays.

The protests have seen students pile up dumpsters and other obstacles to block access to high schools, with clashes occasionally breaking out with police.

Yesterday, only 130 of France's 3,700 lycees were closed, according to the education ministry, though it stated that, while "the number of school closures is falling... the violence is intensifying".

The education ministry said eight members of teaching staff were injured yesterday, mostly in the Paris region and cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, in relation to the protests.

'Aren't being heard'

While most of the protests have been peaceful, students say they are determined to press the government to address the problems of too many absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, overcrowded class schedules and other grievances.

One young protester lost a hand from a police stun grenade earlier in the protests, another lost many of his teeth from a tear-gas canister fired in his face at close range, and another lost an eye.

Rights groups and students have accused the police of a disproportionate use of force.

Several police officers and teachers have also been hurt, and yesterday authorities said fireworks fired through a tube injured two school workers in Reims, one school worker in a Paris suburb and a police officer outside a school in Marseille.

Today's demonstrations supporting the students are to be followed on Saturday by wider public rallies against the rising cost of living.

President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to reporters, said the pupils' grievances would take time to address and urged restraint from protesters.

"These are issues that deserve time, consultations, discussion and respect," Mr Macron said.

Worries about lost lessons

More than 6,800 people - largely minors - have been taken into police custody over the course of the protests, according to the justice ministry.

Police have opened internal investigations into 24 allegations of brutality against demonstrators.

After last week's nationwide demonstrations, the government promised some 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed in the coming days to replace absent staff at the 114 worst-affected high schools.

A government spokeswoman yesterday said they had started to be assigned.

But the national students' union has dismissed the government's move as "crumbs" and was demanding a €10bn boost for lycees.

Some parents and students, however, voiced concerns about all the classes being missed because of the protests. A few worried that the children were being used as pawns by opposition political parties.