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Student protests grip France as Prime Minister Lecornu calls crisis meeting
PBS • • world
Key Points:
- France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting and canceled ministers' trips to address widespread protests by high school students over under-resourced schools and long hours.
- Protests, which began in Paris-region schools, have escalated into violent clashes with police, resulting in hundreds of arrests and many injuries, including from police riot-control measures.
- The demonstrations have become a significant issue in the upcoming presidential election campaign and are intensifying pressure on the government amid financial challenges and a proposed cost-cutting budget for 2027.
- Students demand relief from overloaded schedules and criticize the education system, while some teachers have joined protests to protect students from police violence.
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray condemned the violence, including arson and attacks on staff, and ordered remote classes when school safety is compromised; far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized the government's response as repressive.
