Bins thrown onto Lille fire as French students block school entrance and protests enter third week
Blockades return after break
Students across France resumed protests after a two-week school break, blocking entrances at dozens of high schools. The demonstrations began on September 17 over classroom conditions. In Lille, near the Belgian border, people threw bins onto a fire outside the International School Montebello as riot police watched. In Marseille, students pushed rubbish containers against a school entrance after talks with the government failed to settle differences.
Meriem, a 16-year-old student, told AFP the movement had restarted because the answers offered were not enough. She was sitting on one of the dumpsters.
Government offers rejected
Education Minister Edouard Geffray proposed a limit of 28 pupils per class, €4 billion ($4.47 billion) for school renovations, and 15,000 additional higher-education places. He also proposed a new admissions system by 2028.
Student representatives said the proposals fell short and pledged to continue protesting. Geffray told France Inter on Monday that attempted blockades involved only a small number of individual schools.
He said demonstrations were permitted, but blocking access to schools was illegal. The article describes the protests as returning on a smaller scale.
Tensions in Marseille
Unauthorised protests in Marseille ended amid tensions, but calm had returned by nightfall. The article also recalls that French protests last month escalated into clashes with police and riots in several cities, including looting. Those earlier disturbances tested the minority government of outgoing president Emmanuel Macron.
Separate unrest in Germany
German ministers threatened tougher penalties for looters and rioters after weekend rallies in dozens of cities called for better education and lower living costs. In Frankfurt, hooded rioters damaged 17 stores and looted five, Hesse interior minister Roman Poseck said. More than 100 police officers were injured in clashes, and 54 people were arrested.
Key points
- French students resumed blockades after a two-week break, with dozens of high schools affected.
- Student representatives said the government’s education proposals did not meet their demands.
- Geffray said blockades involved few schools and warned that denying access was illegal.
- In Frankfurt, 17 stores were damaged, five were looted, and 54 people were arrested.