France has been struggling to contain its biggest student protests in decades.
The protests started last month at a high school in a Parisian suburb, where students joined their striking teachers to protest a lack of staff and resources. When their demands were met and extra staff were sent to the school, the strike ended.
But shortly after that, students in Paris and the surrounding region began blocking entrances to their schools. Within days, similar scenes were reported across the country. Images of students setting alight trash cans, manning barricades, assaulting teaching staff and clashing with police have led to questions about the police’s response and the far left’s involvement.
Hundreds of schools have been forced to close, and thousands of people have been taken into police custody over the past few weeks — most of them minors with no previous criminal records.
Critics have accused the police of a heavy-handed response. Following a massive day of protests on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron demanded “empathy” from police forces facing student protesters.
In an address to the nation Wednesday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said parliament next month would debate a budget proposal that includes 64 billion euros ($71.6 billion) in funding for education, a slight increase from last year. He also said the government has launched five initiatives to respond to students’ needs.
But there has been little sign that school blockades will halt in the meantime. Student unions have called for a day of protests on October 17.
Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.
