Students call two new protest days in France

Athe French student organizations called for two new days of mobilization and blocking of educational institutions for Tuesday and Thursday in France, in a military arm with the government that has lasted for more than a month.

Today, after the fall break, the adherence to the protests was “real”.

The National Student Union of France (UNEF) today called for a “black journey” for Tuesday in universities, with general assemblies and blockades, and also called for a mass mobilization on the streets for Thursday, coinciding with the trade union strike in defense of purchasing power and public services in the country.

“Does the government not want to hear us? On November 3rd, dark day at universities: attend assemblies and block your faculties. On November 5, we all go to the street”, wrote the organization in a message released on social networks.

This call joins the convening of other student organizations and secondary school students, who announced blockades for today, Tuesday and Thursday, as well as participation in the general strike day of November 5, promoted by the French unions.

The return to classes, after 15 days of autumn vacation, took place today in a relatively quiet manner, with the blockades being “residual”, according to the Minister of Education, Édouard Geffray, who defended the right of students who so wish to access the classrooms.

“The absolute priority is that students can attend classes,” Geffray said in an interview with France Inter, in which he called for the “collective responsibility” of students and organizations supporting the protests.

The minister acknowledged the right to demonstrate, but warned that no student can prevent his colleagues from attending classes, especially those who prepare for secondary school completion exams and entry to university.

“ The blockades are not illegitimate, but are illegal”, he said.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, at 09:30 (08:30 Lisbon), only 41 schools — about 1% of the total — remained blocked, and there were no disturbances in three quarters of the French departments.

However, the Trade Union of Schools (USL) indicated, around 12:00 (11:00 Lisbon), that more than 150 educational establishments were blocked throughout the country.

The Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, was willing to receive representatives of high school students again next week, according to sources from his office mentioned by BFMTV station.

The mobilizations arise after the executive announced, exactly a week ago, several measures to respond to the demands of the educational sector.

Among them, we highlight: greater transparency in the criteria for admission and rejection of applications through Parcoursup, the platform for access to the university; the elimination of motivation letters; the renewal of degraded infrastructure in schools; and the reduction in the number of students per class.

Geffray defended the measures and expressed doubts that the government is able to go further in the short term, as six months before the presidential elections and the executive has little room for budgetary manoeuvre.

“I don’t see how we can do more immediately,” the minister admitted, in response to the demands of student organisations, who demand an additional investment of EUR 10 billion in education and the repeal of Parcoursup.

At the same time, the Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, today expressed his support for the security forces deployed during the demonstrations and thanked them for their work in a letter.

“I want to express my enormous gratitude for his extraordinary commitment, all the more admirable for staying over time,” Nuñez wrote in the press message.

The minister highlighted the police mobilization for three consecutive weekends, which, he indicated, forced many agents to work during periods of rest or vacation, sometimes with prejudice to their family life.

Nuñez also defended the actions of police officers in the face of criticisms about the management of public order and complaints of police violence.

“ While others observe and comment, you are on the ground, without straying from your mission in the service of the general interest”, wrote the French minister.