France: High school student protests attract thousands of university students

Thousands of university students in France have joined high school student protests in Paris and several other cities, rejecting government pledges they consider insufficient. The protests have spread to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Lille, and Rennes, and have led to the closure of three university campuses at Lyon 2, while the Education Ministry closed the entrances of 48 high schools.

Thousands of university students in France joined high school student protests on Tuesday, which have been ongoing since September 17, in Paris and several other cities, rejecting government pledges they consider insufficient. The protests, called for by the student group "Interfac" representing universities in the Île-de-France region, spread to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Lille, and Rennes. Thousands of students marched near the Panthéon in central Paris, despite the administrative court rejecting their challenge to a route set by police away from the center. Security forces surrounded the protesters and prevented them from leaving for hours, using pepper spray against those who tried to break through the cordon. Three campuses of Lyon 2 University were closed due to the movements. The National Education Ministry announced the closure of entrances to 48 high schools due to the protests, stating that studies were not disrupted in 75% of high schools, while the Union of High School Unions announced organizing movements in 500 high schools during the day. The protests had subsided during negotiations between the government, unions, and student representatives, but escalated again on Monday after government pledges were deemed insufficient.