Greta Thunberg joins French high school protests over run-down schools in Saint-Denis
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined hundreds of pupils protesting outside a Saint-Denis high school on Tuesday, 13 October, as blockades entered their fourth week. The protests demand more resources for run-down schools.
Thunberg joins the protest
Greta Thunberg joined hundreds of teenagers demonstrating outside the Paul Éluard high school in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Tuesday, 13 October. The 23-year-old Swedish climate activist applauded the pupils while police watched over the protest. AP reports that staff and students at the school have long complained of dilapidated facilities and even rat infestations.
Thunberg said French pupils were 'fighting back, reclaiming their future that has been taken away from them' and were inspiring young people in other countries. Her appearance came after more than three weeks of blockading and demonstrating outside schools, and AP reports that the movement has not run out of steam despite mass arrests and mounting injuries.
The international community sees these students and they're leading by example.
Thunberg also said that young people should take matters into their own hands when adults fail to protect them.
Of course people are going to fight back.
According to German-language reports, Thunberg also accused the French police of extremely violent conduct toward the young demonstrators.
What happened on the day
The pupils blocked high schools across France on Tuesday, and demonstrations were planned for the afternoon in Paris and other large cities, with trade unions in education joining. An online call for an unauthorised demonstration in front of the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu in Paris circulated on social networks.
- Macron comments on the protests on the sidelines of the motor show, calling for peaceful and orderly mobilisation
- Interior Ministry reports 30,000 people at school protests and 21,000 in marches
- Demonstrations planned in Paris and other large cities, with education unions joining
In Nantes, police used tear gas at the end of a rally. In Lyon, police moved against a group of black-clad rioters at the edge of a march that about 11,000 people joined, according to newsORF. In Paris, passers-by applauded the pupils and buses honked in support.
Scale and disruption
The figures for blocked schools vary by source. NewsORF cited the Education Ministry on 13 October with 214 high schools blocked nationwide, while Der Standard reported about 200 according to government figures, and Focus reported more than 200 based on preliminary midday figures from the ministry. The ministry said support was shrinking and that only a few education staff had followed the strike call. Nearly 5% of teachers went on strike on Tuesday, according to Handelsblatt.
The Interior Ministry reported at midday that 30,000 people were taking part in protest actions at schools and 21,000 in the marches that had already set off.
- School protests
- 30000 people
- Marches
- 21000 people
Demands and grievances
Pupils are demanding better equipment for schools, more teachers, substitute teachers to cover absences, repairs to buildings with broken windows and falling ceilings, and less overcrowded timetables. Handelsblatt reports, citing an analysis by Le Monde, that upper-secondary pupils in France have more than 1,220 scheduled hours, more than in other European countries. The Education Ministry says 10% of school lessons are cancelled.
OECD figures cited by Handelsblatt put average teacher pay in France at just under 42,000 euros, compared with just under 70,000 euros in Germany. A 15-year-old pupil quoted by Handelsblatt said that defence and other budget items receive so much money that pupils are left behind. The National Assembly has been debating next year's budget since Tuesday, with more than 50 billion euros in planned savings, from which the defence budget is exempt.
The sociologist Vincent Tiberj of Sciences Po told Le Point that young people are driven by a deeper unease tied to their future, because in France almost their entire fate is decided between the ages of 18 and 21 through a selection process in which everyone competes with everyone else.
Government and politics
President Emmanuel Macron commented on the protests on Monday, 12 October, on the sidelines of the motor show, saying they must remain peaceful and orderly and respect both people and property. Presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon took part in the Paris demonstrations on Tuesday. His party, La France Insoumise, has been accused of politically exploiting the pupils' protests and escalating confrontations with police.
Reports say the government hopes the movement will slow as the school holidays approach.
