UN Expresses Concern as French Students Plan More Protests Over School Conditions

The United Nations human rights agency expressed concern Friday over incidents related to student protests and high school blockades across France, urging all sides to remain peaceful.

Shabia Mantoo, a spokesperson for the agency, stated they are following events with concern. Students were largely back in classrooms Friday, but student unions called for another wave of demonstrations next Tuesday. France's Justice Ministry reported Friday that more than 6,800 people have been detained since mid-September, with 86 percent of them minors. Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced Thursday that 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed within the next hours to the 114 high schools most affected by staff shortages.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pledged to introduce a plan to address the crisis by the end of October and promised changes to government budget proposals. Economy Minister Roland Lescure indicated the government could accommodate demands for additional school funding. The government also suspended the use of stun grenades after a 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday due to one such device.

Police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct. The protests, now in their third week, began in mid-September at Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil, a Parisian suburb, over issues including absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, and un-air-conditioned classrooms. Students also protest overcrowded timetables, rising temperatures, and the Parcoursup college application system. On Thursday, 71,500 people participated in demonstrations nationwide, including 24,500 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry.

The CGT trade union reported a turnout of more than 130,000. Police have used tear gas, batons, blast balls, and water cannons to disperse protesters, leading to accusations of excessive force from rights groups and students. Protesters have set fires, vandalized bus shelters, and damaged at least 24 schools, with authorities estimating the repair cost at at least €30 million.

Prime Minister Lecornu lamented violence, students and staff being attacked, police officers and gendarmes injured, schools set on fire or vandalized. Student union representative Marius Mesnil described the government's offers as a few crumbs.