French PM promises plan to address students’ concerns

High school students continued to blockade schools in Paris, Bordeaux and other parts of the country on Wednesday as protests over school conditions entered the third week.

More than 6,500 people, mostly minors, have been arrested since the protests began, with hundreds injured. The government has suspended stun grenades at student protests after a 15-year-old lost a hand in a clash with police.

Students are protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating schools, while 18 investigations into alleged police misconduct are underway. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that security forces had no orders to confront students and promised a plan to address their concerns by the end of October.

"Young people’s anger doesn’t come out of nowhere. No one can remain indifferent to the anxieties they express. These high school students, as we know, were children—or at least were entering adolescence—during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have asked them to make considerable sacrifices. Since then, they have witnessed wars, climate change, and sometimes seen their parents or loved ones struggling. Despite these anxieties, however, we are asking them to choose their path and look to the future with confidence. And it is the responsibility of the government and all political parties to restore that confidence. And that, of course,