Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko told Reuters he tried to stop police from charging at students during a protest in Paris. He said many teenagers had shown no aggression, but officers used tear gas against the crowd, including him.
Video of Tuesday’s demonstration spread on social media. It shows Bagayoko standing between young protesters and police and shouting for officers to stop. In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, he said he supported students from his working-class suburb and felt responsible for standing with them.
The protests began in Paris’s suburbs more than two weeks ago. Students have raised concerns about overcrowded, unsanitary classrooms, teacher shortages and unequal opportunities. Poverty in Saint-Denis is more than twice the national average.
Reuters reported that more than 6,000 people had been arrested since the protests began and dozens of students had been injured. Rights groups and unions accuse police of using excessive force, including against minors. Authorities say hundreds of officers have also been injured, schools have been burned or ransacked, and teachers and members of the public have been attacked.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Wednesday that the government would review students’ demands and present proposals at the end of October. He gave no details. The government has suggested politicians from France Unbowed, Bagayoko’s party, were behind the protests. The mayor rejected the allegation as an insult to the young demonstrators.