The French penchant for protest has been in full display in recent weeks as waves of student demonstrations have struck all over the country. Beginning with protests in Parisian suburb of Créteil, the protest has spread to students across the country with between 250,000 to 450,000 students and teachers taking part, and has latterly begun to include further demonstrations over the cost-of-living and other economic discontent.
The protests have centred around school conditions for students and teachers alike, with criticisms of rat-infested schools, classes of up to 35 pupils, and a chronic lack of necessary equipment, such as chairs and books. Teachers’ unions cited long working hours, inadequate pay and a long-derided university admissions system as key reasons for protesting alongside their students.
These conditions persist despite France having the 2nd highest taxes and 2nd highest public expenditure in the EU. Such high taxes and cost-of-living burdens have led to more “yellow vest” demonstrations alongside the students, with over half a million turning out on the 17th of October.
These protests have proven to be some of the most violent seen in France in decades, with over 1800 arrested and hundreds of injuries. Children as young as 15 have been involved, with one having their hand blown off by a stun grenade, and another losing an eye to a rubber bullet.
Violence in protest has been a long-running theme in France, with police forces facing criticism over many years for their use of explosive and dangerous weapons in the face of protesters. The protestors themselves have been similarly violent, as demonstrations have cascaded to into riots with arson, looting, and fireworks being shot at police. Hundreds of police officers have been injured across the country in responding to the students. Both sides of the protest, as ever, blame the other for the rapid escalation. As more protesters turned out over the weekend, it seems these protests will continue into the near future.
The Government has condemned the student’s actions. Embattled President Macron has said, “[There is] no room for violence in our Republic” and vowed those responsible for the violence will be prosecuted, a message echoed by Prime Minister Lecournu. Top Presidential candidates Far-Left Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Far-Right Marine Le Pen also weighed in. Mélenchon joined the protest, accusing the police of undue violence, while Le Pen sympathised with the cause but accused Mélenchon of stoking violence.
These protests come at a time of intense polarisation in France, with Presidential election due next year, suggesting a deeper-rooted issue among those protesting. After 10 years of a historically unpopular Macron and an anaemic economy post-Covid, polls are split between increasingly extreme left- or right-wing parties, promising a contentious vote and potential further clashes between those split on the political spectrum.
