Greta Thunberg slams ‘extremely violent’ police response to French school protests

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined the French protests outside Lycée Paul Éluard in Saint-Denis, a working-class suburb north of Paris that serves as a central hub for the mobilisation. She strongly condemned the French law enforcement response, describing the police tactics as "extremely violent" for demanding the “bare minimum”.

“This shows everything about the police and who they really protect. Law enforcement is supposed to protect young people,” she said.

More than 6,800 people, overwhelmingly minors, have been detained since the protests began. According to French authorities, the protests have seen flashes of violence, but there were peaceful rallies as well. Rights groups recorded around 100 complaints of alleged police violence. Riot police have used tear gas and charged at protesters in numerous incidents, injuring hundreds and arresting thousands. The government suspended the use of stun grenades last week after one teenager lost a hand.

The major nationwide school protest movement in France is over systemic issues including critical teacher shortages, classroom overcrowding, and dilapidated school buildings across France. It has now entered its fourth week without any sign of a resolution nearby.

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“They should know that all over the world we are following these developments. We are inspired by the young people who are demanding their basic rights," Thunberg told reporters.

"Whether it's not funding schools enough, or ⁠the climate crisis, or social injustice crises ... it's about time that young people are stepping up and reclaiming that future," she said.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray told France Inter radio that about 200 schools were closed. He suggested that some of the closures were due to safety precautions, as they were on the routes of planned marches. This is down from 800 on a similar protest day a week ago. It said 94.2% of high schools were open. He said a consultation platform for high school students had received 86,000 contributions and nearly 1,000 contract teachers were being recruited.

The France Government has expressed sympathy with the protesters. But it is going through fiscal pressure and has little room for increasing government spending, according to Reuters. The protests come six months ahead of a presidential election that could usher in the first far-right government since World War Two, led by Le Pen’s National Rally.