At least 8 school staff hurt in French student protest violence
France's education ministry said violence is intensifying in Monday's high-school protests, with incidents concentrated in Creteil, Bordeaux and Lyon.
At least 8 education staff were injured in clashes linked to France's high-school student protest movement on Monday, the education ministry said, as the demonstrations entered a new week.
The ministry said violence was intensifying even as the number of closed schools declined, with incidents concentrated in the Creteil academic district and in the cities of Bordeaux and Lyon. It said the toll of 8 injured staff did not include the headteacher and teacher wounded in a shooting at a school in Aubagne, in southern France, which officials are treating as a separate incident.
About 96% of schools remained open on Monday despite blockades in several cities, the ministry said. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said last week that a government consultation platform set up for pupils had drawn responses in which 71% raised problems with class timetables, 51% cited building conditions, 28.5% raised teacher absences and their replacement, 24% raised class sizes and 14.5% raised the Parcoursup university admissions system; respondents could cite more than one issue, which is why the shares add up to more than 100%.
Monday's unrest came as the protest movement, which began in late September, entered what organisers called its fifth nationwide day of action. Staff at the Paul-Eluard secondary school in Saint-Denis, near Paris, occupied the building overnight into Tuesday to back pupils' demands; a teacher there said the closures the government has used were aimed at "breaking the movement" before pupils received any response to their demands.
The main student unions, the Union syndicale lyceenne, Renouveau Lyceen and Lyceens!, are due to meet education minister Edouard Geffray on Thursday, two days after Tuesday's planned nationwide demonstration, which President Emmanuel Macron has called on protesters to hold peacefully and without the violence seen on previous days of action.
The ministry's figures on Monday's violence and school closures came as the government also faces a wider wave of unrest, with blockades, fires and clashes with police reported in cities including Rennes, Tours and Quimper over the same demands for more investment in secondary education.
What we know
- Official · Ministry of Education At least 8 education staff were injured in clashes tied to nationwide high-school protests on Monday, France's education ministry said.
- Official · Ministry of Education Violence was concentrated in the Creteil academic district and in Bordeaux and Lyon, the ministry said.
- 1 outlet The toll excludes the headteacher and teacher wounded in a shooting at a school in Aubagne, a separate incident.
- Official · Ministry of Education About 96% of schools remained open on Monday despite blockades in several cities.
- 1 outlet Student unions are due to meet education minister Edouard Geffray on Thursday.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The protests are now in a second week, with pupils' demands centred mainly on class timetables and building conditions, according to the government's own consultation platform. A large demonstration planned for Tuesday will test whether the movement stays peaceful; Macron has urged calm.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Libération: Mouvement lycéen : «au moins huit personnels» blessés ce lundi selon le ministère de l’Education, 96 % d’établissements ouverts
- ABC News Albania: Përshkallëzohen protestat në Francë, të paktën tetë punonjës arsimi të plagosur
- Franceinfo: Mobilisation lycéenne : "au moins huit personnels" de l'Education nationale blessés lundi matin, selon le ministère
- BFMTV: Mouvement lycéens: les affrontements avec les forces de l'ordre ont éclaté à Bordeaux, Reims ou encore Lyon, huit personnels de l'Éducation nationale ont été blessés
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many people were hurt in Monday's protests?
- At least 8 education staff were injured, France's education ministry said.
- Where was the violence concentrated?
- In the Creteil academic district and in the cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, according to the ministry.
- Is this linked to the Aubagne school shooting?
- No. The ministry said its toll of 8 injured staff excludes the headteacher and teacher wounded in the separate Aubagne shooting.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.