France plans fresh rallies in support of students — The Hindu
France planned new nationwide demonstrations on October 13 in support of students who have been protesting for several weeks over learning conditions. In Paris, the march was due to begin at 12:00 GMT, with rallies also planned in other cities. As The Hindu reports, the mobilization was supported by trade unions and the left-wing opposition party La France Insoumise.
Previous protests and detentions
The new rallies were due to take place after demonstrations on October 8, when more than 70,000 people took to the streets in different regions of France. Police detained about 500 participants at the time. According to the Ministry of Justice, more than 6,800 people, mostly minors, have been detained throughout the protests.
The movement began in late September. Students blocked entrances to lycées with rubbish bins and other objects, while clashes with police occurred in some places. France's Ministry of Education said that 130 of the country's 3,700 lycées were closed on October 12. The ministry said that the number of closed schools was declining, but the level of violence was increasing.
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Students' demands and the authorities' response
Protest participants are demanding that the government resolve problems involving teacher shortages, dilapidated buildings, overloaded class schedules and other shortcomings in education. After the previous nationwide protests, the government promised to send about 3,000 substitute teachers to 114 lycées that were most affected in the coming days. A government spokesperson said on October 12 that their deployment had already begun.
The National Student Union called this step insufficient and is demanding an additional 10 billion euros in funding for lycées. Human rights organizations and protest participants accused police of using disproportionate force. Police launched internal investigations into 24 complaints of mistreatment of demonstrators.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that students' complaints require time, consultations, discussion and respect, and called on protesters to show restraint. Broader rallies against the rising cost of living were also planned for Saturday.
