France braces for nationwide protests as school unrest widens into broader discontent
More than 600 demonstrations are planned across France on Saturday, with students set to be joined by trade unionists and remnants of the Yellow Vests movement. Authorities fear violence, as earlier school protests left more than 900 police officers injured.
Mass rallies are planned across France on Saturday, with participants voicing anger over high prices, social inequality and a run-down education system. According to organizers, more than 600 demonstrations are scheduled. They follow a wave of protests that began last month, in which pupils complained about teacher absences and dilapidated school facilities.
President Emmanuel Macron has urged calm and respect, saying the right to protest goes together with respect for people and property.
Expected turnout and restrictions
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 2 television that a fairly large turnout is expected. A police source told the AFP news agency that authorities anticipate nearly 200,000 participants, including 40,000 in Paris. In the capital, police have banned gatherings around the Elysee presidential palace, the prime minister's office and the Champs-Elysees avenue, among other key sites. A march through the city center is also prohibited. The main Paris demonstration is due to start at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) at Place de la Republique and head toward the north of the city.
Fears of violence
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Thursday that authorities fear violence. He described a moment of fatigue and an atmosphere of perma-crisis: wars, inflation and purchasing-power concerns. Jordan Bardella, head of the far-right National Rally, which leads the polls ahead of next year's presidential election, said he expected clashes and was extremely concerned.
The earlier school protests have already involved considerable violence, with several protesters and more than 900 police injured. In one incident, a teenage pupil had a hand blown off and several fingers on the other hand injured by a stun grenade. The internal police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen alleged cases of police violence.
Who is taking part
Students will be joined by trade unionists and remnants of the Yellow Vests ("Gilets jaunes") movement, which held mass weekly protests from November 2018 to June 2020, initially against rising fuel prices and later against the high cost of living and economic inequality. The student protests have been backed by Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who marched in a demonstration on Tuesday. The government has accused LFI of fueling public discontent, which the party denies.
