Tuesday’s school students’ national mobilisation was a real success. Nearly 50% of all schools were affected and the percentage was a lot higher in the main urban centres. Even the official figures registered more than 250,000 on demonstrations with the school student organisations estimating about double that.  Teachers unions supported the action and many parents joined in. The latter, along with school staff, organised with white armbands and helmets to try and protect the marches from police repression.

215 school students had already been injured by police. One student has lost an eye, another a hand and someone has had his jaw broken by a stun grenade being shot at short range. Given the outcry about the excessive use of force the government has been oblige to suspend the use of stun grenades.  Originally it was alleged that the boy who lost his hand had picked up the grenade, his mother has since stated that he had not.  Over the last three weeks around 6000 students – many of them minors have been arrested. Nearly 500 were arrested on Tuesday.

Movement having an impact

Already the government has been pushed into having special cabinet meetings to respond to the students demands about oversized classes, dilapidated facilities, staff vacancies, over long timetables and on assessment issues for transition to college. Macron is letting his prime minister, Lecornu head up the response for the government at the moment.  This might give his room to manoeuvre as the Presidential arbiter if the upsurge does not subside after limited concession area duly made.

The government and most of the mass media have adopted the usual approach of more or less accepting that the school students have the right to raise ‘legitimate’ demands but that the ‘extreme left’ and the hooligans (‘casseurs’) are taking advantage of the situation and manipulating the student movement.  A particular target has been Jean-Luc Melenchon’s La France Insoumise (France Unbowed –LFI). A rightwing Presidential candidate (elections are in May 2027), Retailleau denounced the LFI as La France Incendaire (= arsonists).  He also pointed out the number of Palestinian flags in the hands of students.  Melenchon has accurately responded saying the movement has emerged independently of his party and he would have had to have ‘telepathic’ powers to have conjured up.  The LFI is the main political force supporting the Palestine solidarity movement. Many school students have participated in pro-Palestine protests.

Migration, Islam and school students

Of course the LFI did support the students and was in the demonstrations on Tuesday. Its support among young people is already a fact particularly in the urban peripheries where the Black or Arab heritage population are significant. It was in these areas that the current upsurge started. Just as in England and Wales schools in the most deprived areas usually have more difficulty getting staff and do not have enough resources for their real needs. 

Melenchon is correct when he identifies the racist aspect to the state of these schools. Unsurprisingly too the young people from these areas often suffer at the hands of the police. Some have died or suffered brutal attacks over the years. Trump has made an explicit link to Islam and migration: In a Truth Social post, he said,

“What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!” 

These events are taking place in the context of the Presidential election where early campaigning is already underway. Some of the students may be old enough to vote next year. Melenchon is standing on a platform to the left of a moderate Socialist Party and has a reasonable chance of getting through to the second round. All the polls show the far right Marine le Pen is certain to be in the second round.  At the moment a centrist figure like Macron has not emerged that can prevent Melenchon being the challenger.

Sign says ‘from the university to schools we are right to revolt’

Polarised political situation

Consequently the political situation is polarised and tense.  Pundits on the TV were already talking yesterday of the danger of the convergence of struggles.  Petrol prices are soaring and people are very angry about it –  the Gilet Jaunes (Yellow Vest) protest movement was partly driven by opposition petrol costs and road speed limits.  If the student movement does not fizzle out and new struggles join it then it may change the dynamics of the Presidential elections. The enthusiasm and size of some of the Melenchon rallies are already causing some concern for the establishment.

Watching the TV coverage of yesterday’s demonstrations confirms the independent nature of the movement. This is not being led by any particular political current – there are a few hammer and sickle flags and anarchist symbols but they are drowned in the thousands of hand written cardboard signs:

They are beating up young people while you shed tears about burning rubbish bins; We are missing lessons so you can learn one; We are school students not robots. 

There is a lot of spontaneity and young people are exhilarated about taking action and maybe making a difference.

What students want

The student organisations are calling for another national mobilisation tomorrow Thursday. Teacher unions are again supporting it. The promises by the government to look at some of the issues and to invite them to discussions has not yet deflated the movement, indeed it shows protest has an impact and that more can be won. If other sectors start to join who knows what can be achieved.

The New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), our cothinkers in France, have called for a mass, self-organised movement for young people and for all school staff.

We share the same demands:

• Mass recruitment of staff (teachers, support staff, nurses, etc.).
• To combat overcrowded classes, we demand a maximum of 24 pupils per class.
• Against the 8am–6pm timetable: we must put an end to the Blanquer reform of the baccalaureate.
• We need a plan to (re)build schools to adapt to climate change.
• We must put an end to ParcourSup (new online system for managing admission to higher education) and the social and racial segregation organised by the education system.

We call on everyone to join the secondary school protests, to go on strike and take part in demonstrations, and to denounce police violence on Tuesday 6 October and in the days that follow.

Solidarity picket of French Embassy in London