French high school students continued protests on Oct. 6, joined by unions, parents and teachers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called students’ discontent and anxiety real and urged the authorities to listen.
Demonstrations took place in several cities, Le Monde reported. Protesters cited staff shortages, overcrowded classes and poor school buildings. Some carried signs reading “Funds for education, not budget cuts.” The protests began in Paris suburbs and spread across the country.
On Oct. 6, Lecornu told the National Assembly that the discontent and anxiety expressed by teenagers were real. He said they should be heard while also urging the authorities to resist political exploitation of the movement. The prime minister announced no new measures that day, leaving open the possibility of discussing proposals during budget preparations.
The movement gained attention after a 15-year-old suffered a severe hand injury from a police stun grenade on Oct. 5. The following day, protesters carried signs in support of the teenager. Le Monde said union activists, parents and teachers joined the students.
Protests in some places were accompanied by clashes and damage to buildings. On Oct. 1, a fire broke out in the entrance hall of Nelson Mandela High School in Nantes. The school opened in 2014 and the project cost about 75 million euros. Le Monde reported that repairs could cost at least 2 million euros. It also said protests were recorded at 1,027 schools on Oct. 2, with 222 schools blocked.