The new move by the French government to silence violent student protests

The French government is offering 3,000 substitute teachers in response to violent student protests, but protest representatives are demanding a budget of 10 billion euros. The riots are spreading to Belgium, and police have arrested 6,877 people, 86% of them minors. President Macron hopes that the semester break and cold weather will calm tensions.

The French government is trying to curb the wave of violent high school student protests, which began over lost class hours due to a teacher shortage but have turned violent and spread to other cities. The French education minister announced today (Friday) the addition of 3,000 substitute teachers in the coming days, a move he claims will calm the protests. However, student representatives rejected the offer and demand a budget of 10 billion euros as a condition for ending the struggle. The riots are also spreading to Belgium, where second- and third-generation immigrants have joined Antifa activists. French police have arrested 6,877 people since the protests began, 86% of them minors. The government is wary of appearing to buy peace with money it does not have, given France's precarious debt situation being scrutinized by capital markets. President Macron, who is already looking toward the 2027 elections, hopes that the semester break and cold weather will reduce the intensity of the protests. The article also quotes US President Donald Trump, who linked the riots to uncontrolled Muslim immigration.