Why There Are Protests in France as Students, Unions and Yellow Vests Rally

Several movements converge

People across France took to the streets over the cost of living, with students, trade unions and yellow-vest groups joining demonstrations. The yellow vests previously held large protests in 2018 over rising fuel prices.

Chris Brown, reporting from Paris, described the movements as converging in support of one another. The protesters are seeking major spending concessions from the Macron government, while signs at rallies have criticized President Emmanuel Macron. By midday, police said they had recorded 140 demonstrations outside the capital, with about 32,800 participants. Authorities attributed the unrest to what they called the “ultra-left.”

Students demand school changes

Students are calling for better school conditions, including more teachers, school nurses and teaching assistants. They also want repairs to school buildings, with students in economically deprived suburbs among those making the demands.

Reforms have extended some school days from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., a schedule many students find difficult. Hundreds of schools have been blockaded since the movement began last month.

According to France’s education minister, dozens of schools have been burned or ransacked, and more than 5,000 young people have been arrested. The report also says police have made more than 5,000 arrests during the unrest.

Clashes and injuries reported

Most demonstrations have been peaceful, but some have involved violence and damage. In Paris, Chris Brown reported seeing protesters set a car alight and burn a kiosk, while police trying to clear a route for firefighters faced rocks and cans.

Police used tear gas during Saturday’s protests in Paris and Marseille, where demonstrators threw projectiles. Clashes also occurred as officers in riot gear confronted protesters moving through tear gas.

A 15-year-old boy lost a hand during a demonstration, and France suspended the use of stun grenades. Police have also severely injured people, including a young person blinded in one eye after being struck by a projectile.