After several days of demonstrations marked by skirmishes with police, damage to schools, and street violence, up to 500 secondary schools in France are expected to close entirely or partially on Monday. This comes as a fresh day of mobilisation by students begins. During the rallies, which have extended to a number of major cities, trash cans and other things have been set on fire, projectiles have been thrown at security personnel, and damage has been done to school buildings and street furniture.
The Ministry of Education released a statement on Sunday saying classes would be “totally or partially” suspended in between 400 and 500 secondary schools if security conditions “are not met.” In talks with the television channel France 2 and the radio station France Inter, Education Minister Édouard Geffray said “between 400 and 500 suspended classes” on Friday. He also stated that “there will probably be just as many on Monday, but with a gradual, partial resumption of classes.”There have been incidents in which garbage cans and other objects have been set ablaze, and projectiles have been hurled at the security personnel. Batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and defence ball launchers (LBDs) have been used by the police in their efforts to disperse some of the demonstrators who have engaged in the demonstration.
Laurent Nuñez, the Minister of the Interior, issued a statement on Sunday morning in which he supported the actions of the security officers and refuted charges that the response seemed “disproportionate. Nuñez insisted that “the police do not repress young people, but rather “protect” students and pupils who desire to “advance their demands peacefully.” Despite this, he warned that they should intervene “firmly and without delay” to end the “damage, violence, and abuses” committed by those who caused the disturbance.
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