French PM calls crisis meeting as student protests turn violent

Key facts

• French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called an emergency meeting on Thursday.
• Student protests over secondary school conditions have spread across France.
• Demonstrations include blockades of educational institutions and vandalism.
• Damage to schools has exceeded €1 million.
• Political figures, including Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen, have commented on the protests.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to address a growing number of student protests across the country. The demonstrations, fueled by anger over conditions in secondary schools, began recently with teenagers blocking entrances to educational institutions in Paris's underprivileged suburbs.

The Union Syndicale Lycéenne, the student union leading the protests, is demanding authorities address issues such as a "shortage of teachers and staff, dilapidated high schools, overcrowded classrooms, and overloaded schedules."

While many protests have been peaceful, some have involved vandalism, including trash cans being set on fire outside school entrances. Valérie Pécresse, the head of the greater Paris region, reported on Thursday that over 200 schools were affected and the damage had surpassed €1 million, according to Le Monde.

Protesters and their supporters have accused the police of using excessive force to disperse gatherings. The protests have also become a point of political contention. Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his France Unbowed party have shown support at demonstrations, stating their aim is to protect minors from confrontations with police. Marine Le Pen, a leading far-right candidate for the upcoming presidential election, criticized Mélenchon on X, holding him responsible for the situation. Mélenchon responded by accusing Le Pen's allies in the police force of perpetrating violence against young people.

Earlier in the week, Lecornu had also criticized Mélenchon, stating that elected officials should protect young people and call for calm, rather than exploiting their anger for partisan purposes.