In Paris, police fired tear gas at a high school blocked by students.
“Macron, you’re screwed!” chanted students who blocked traffic outside the Paris-Panthéon-Assas high school in the French capital, according to Le Figaro.
Protests were also taking place in Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes and Marseille, among other cities. On Thursday, classes were suspended at nearly 400 schools, according to the Ministry of Education.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 71,000 people took part in Thursday’s demonstrations. Most participated in actions around schools, while others joined marches.
Gathered at dawn
In Paris, students gathered at dawn to erect new barricades around Hélène Boucher high school, a center of protests in recent days. As the crowd grew, police surrounded the students, clashed with protesters and fired tear gas, according to local media.
Police also fired tear gas in Nantes on Thursday, Le Figaro reports.
Criticism of the French police has been mounting since several students were injured in the protests. One of them, a 15-year-old, had his hand blown off by a police grenade in Lens, while other youths suffered knocked-out teeth and eye injuries. More than 6,600 protesters have been arrested, some after vandalizing bus shelters and starting fires.
Earlier on Thursday, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon dismissed the criticism, claiming that the police are acting with “proportionality and discrimination.”
Promises crisis plan
The protesters, both young and old, are demanding increased funding for the country’s schools and a fundamental overhaul of the education system. In a televised speech on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu tried to defuse tensions by promising a crisis plan by the end of the month.
Many students say it is not enough.
“We expected more from him. This is an emergency situation,” 17-year-old Salyna told AFP in Paris.
In Nantes, 17-year-old Camille said students “don’t want words”:
“We want action.”
