French High School Students Lead Mass Protests over School Funding, Inequality; Thousands Arrested

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AMY GOODMAN: Almost 2,000 French high schools are blockaded or closed today as enormous student-led demonstrations topped France over school financing and inequality. The presentation started in September at a single school outside Paris, where trainees objected instructor scarcities, overcrowded class and collapsing school structures. The scope of the demonstrations has actually broadened in the middle of a violent crackdown by French cops. French authorities have actually detained more than 5,000 individuals considering that the motion started, about 85% of them high schoolers.

These are the voices of 2 trainees opposing in Paris earlier today.

HUGO VETZEL: [translated] For us, it’s, to start with, in assistance of the high school trainees who began blockades a couple of days earlier. I believe all of us have a function to play in this motion, and the more we are, the more we will be heard. And I believe this is not a battle of a couple of handful of individuals, however a more worldwide defend the youth. …

We feel disliked, due to the fact that when the response is violence, that indicates, in such a way, democracy is no longer working. We feel specifically that there is such a space in between the elites and us, and we feel we are producing anxiousness, since we are interrupting so much that they are utilizing force to shut us up.

MONA FALLACARA: [translated] I am rather pleased due to the fact that, for as soon as, we see a genuine motion of the youth all over, and we find out about it. Then, what I deplore is that the media is revealing more of the violence done by the trainees before their needs, which are important. And yes, there is a little violence, however it’s not all over. …

France’s budget plan will concern a vote quickly, so we hope there will be a greater spending plan for education. And for the governmental election next year, also, we expect a little modification after 10 years of President Macron heading the nation.

AMY GOODMAN: France’s main independent nationwide human rights body has actually revealed deep issue over what it called the state’s out of proportion usage of force in reaction to the demonstrations. On Monday, Democracy Now! reached a French trainee who explained the violent cops crackdown. For her security, she asked not to be recognized.

PROTESTER: Throughout the demonstrations, individuals, trainees get tear gas, get– like, get struck, get assaulted, get charged by cops, by the CRSwhich is an authorities organization. And yes, essentially it has actually been actually violent. Many individuals have actually been injured. Lots of people have actually been jailed. Somebody lost an eye. Somebody lost a hand. And this is occurring to actual teenagers, actual kids. We even– many of us aren’t even grownups. And this is awful, due to the fact that actual adult individuals, adult police officers, adult policewomen, with weapons and tear gas and guards and helmets, are assaulting actual trainees with some– some cardboard with messages on it. Like, we’re pacifists, and our motion is nonviolent, and yet we get a lot violence, violence from the federal government.

AMY GOODMAN: That was a French high school trainee scared to be called or revealed.

We go now to France. We start with Claire Vigneau, the basic secretary of the French trainee union, the FSEShe’s at a demonstration in Rennes, in northwestern France.

Thanks a lot for joining us, Claire. If you can begin by speaking about how these demonstrations started? When individuals hear “residential areas,” they believe more middle-class, however in France, it’s essentially the opposite, where more hardship is focused. Speak about the schools, the high school trainees and how this has actually grown.

CLAIRE VIGNEAU: Yeah, so, it began like a couple of days back, and possibly 10 days earlier, something like that. And now it’s growing and larger every day. Yes, it began in Saint-Denis, which is a residential areas near Paris, however extremely bad residential areas. And it began due to the fact that class conditions, like studying conditions, are truly worsening and even worse. And, like, there is water in their class. They have rats in their class. The roofing is falling out. And yeah, so it’s getting more difficult and more difficult to study for these high school trainees. Therefore they began to obstruct their high schools.

And now it’s broadened out to the majority of the high schools in France. Really, today, the state chose to close 500 high schools, since they didn’t desire them to be obstructed. Even with that preventative measure, 500 more high schools are obstructed. And in the meantime, we are– in the meantime we are– we have likewise like 90% of the universities, the schools that are obstructed. And we are going to continue going yet, continue going to obstruct.

Today, we were on a demonstration in Rennes, yes. We are attempting to leave from the police officers that are chasing us with tear gas and with cannon, water cannon. Therefore, yes, it was a huge demonstration in Rennes. There was really like 16,000 individuals in Rennes, which is not a huge city. And something to note is that the minister of the interior informed today the head of the most significant trade union in France that Rennes was going to be an example of repression, of violence, and to reveal all the remainder of the motion that we can’t do what we are doing now, which is demonstration for our living conditions.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Claire, could you talk more about what the needs of the trainees are, and specifically their issues about a lot of these schools having no cooling in warm weather condition, that the heat gets up to 35 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit, particularly considered that France has had a lot of individuals pass away throughout heat waves this previous year?

CLAIRE VIGNEAU: Yeah, yeah, since we have actually seen a great deal of classes, even in classes for like actually child, beginning with 6 years of ages, remaining in class where there resembled 35 trainees with temperature levels achieving 35 degrees and much more– a few of them obtained 40 degrees. And we are worried, due to the fact that you can’t find out, actually, in an actually excellent way when you are under this weather condition. And we are battling, naturally, for the weather, like the spectacular conditions, however not just.

And clearly, we are having a hard time for more spending plans in school and less spending plans in the Army, since in France the financement for the Army doubled in 10 years, and when they– at the exact same time, the budget plans for education is getting lower and lower every day. Therefore, that’s like– the a/c is, naturally, among the objectives, however not just. And before even having cooling, we want to have safe class without any bad items for our health in the structures. And we would like, if it rains outside, we do not desire rain in our class, and so on, and so on.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to go today to southern France, where we’re signed up with by Cole Stangler, a reporter in France covering politics and labor. The significance of this demonstration call? I imply, we see Claire in the streets of Rennes. There are demonstrations in Lille, an across the country day of demonstrations, the college unions and other labor unions participating in these demonstrations today, countless individuals jailed, about 5,000, over 87% of them kids in high school.

COLE STANGLER: Yeah, that’s. And I believe perhaps simply to match a few of what we’ve been– currently been hearing, you understand, those problems have actually been definitely at the leading edge of what I’ve been hearing on the ground here. I was simply at a demonstration in Aix-en-Provence, simply in the south of France, simply north of Marseille, where trainees were informing me their own stories of the worn out conditions of a few of their structures, which, to be reasonable, aren’t almost as bad as when we speak about the suburban areas of Paris, where you have, you understand, rats in the corridors, however still, individuals discussing worn out structures, needing to set up internet around their– around the structures to ensure there’s not falling particles. That’s a concern I found out about.

And, you understand, another concern individuals yap about here is the personnel scarcities, the absence of instructors. This has actually been a problem that’s been bubbling up for years. And we heard it discussed, France’s– the quantity of costs that France has actually done on education has actually stagnated, if not decreased. You understand, if you return to the late ’90s, 1997, France was investing over 7% of its GDP on education. That’s decreased about almost a portion point. The federal government is investing less, and the wages are rather low. That may be stunning to some audiences in the United States. You understand, a beginning wage for a public school instructor in France is around 2,000 euros. Even mid-career experts are earning less than the OECD average, less than the European Union average. Therefore, when you have low incomes, you understand, and you have worn out structures, it’s simple to perhaps comprehend why you have these personnel lacks. Therefore, this is an intriguing problem where the reviews that high school trainees are making are really comparable to what instructors’ unions have actually been stating for rather a long time. There’s that concern of the scarcities.

And I believe another crucial concern that’s emerged– and once again, trainees were discussing it, both the high school trainees I spoke to earlier today and the college student who signed up with the demonstrations– was the problem of what in France they call Parcoursup, which is the brand-new platform that was presented a couple of years back, which is essentially an application platform for high school trainees to enter universities, that is not extremely transparent. There’s a great deal of reviews about how this sort of apparently mystical system will use university areas to trainees. Trainees aren’t getting to go to the universities they desire to go to that are close to them. They may need to move midway throughout the nation. That suggests more cash that they’re investing in lease; they can’t cope with their moms and dads. Therefore, that review of the university application procedure is something that joins, once again, both high school trainees and college student.

Which’s what’s been intriguing when you’re speaking to individuals on the streets here, is to see to what degree the high school trainee problems in fact resonate beyond simply high schools.? It’s college student. It’s likewise trade unions. Today, at the demonstration I was at, you had a great deal of trade union assistance from, you understand, the primary labor unions in France. And I believe the motion is actually resonating since it’s actually struck a nerve here on a great deal of problems that are essential to French society.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Cole, I wished to ask you– the French federal government has actually implicated the left-wing political celebration France Unbowed of stiring the violence at the– or, some violence at these demonstrations. Can you discuss the significance of this, particularly as France is getting ready for next year’s governmental elections?

COLE STANGLER: Yeah. You understand, I was discussing this earlier, and I believe that this line that we’ve undoubtedly spoken with the federal government– I believe it is both an excellent exaggeration of the activating power of that celebration, La France Insoumise, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and it’s likewise, I believe, an insult to the cumulative intelligence of the high school trainees who are objecting. I imply, I do not believe it’s physically possible for a political celebration to have this broad of a reach. I believe that’s sort of a simple reason. That’s– you understand, that’s a sign of the method the federal government has actually taken so far.

And, you understand, this concern of authorities repression and cops violence, which we found out about simply previously, has actually likewise been something that’s been sort of pressing the motion forward. A great deal of French individuals, I believe, have actually been surprised by the degree of the authorities violence. You understand, we heard there was a 15-year-old who had his hand essentially blown off by getting a stun grenade that the cops usage here. We had another trainee who lost making use of his eye since he was struck by a rubber bullet. These resemble, you understand, low-grade, nearly military sort of innovations that the authorities usage in France. And it’s part of a policing method that has actually remained in location for a number of years now. A lot of your audiences may keep in mind the yellow vest motion back in late 2018, where we had, you understand, decentralized mass demonstrations and a big quantity of violence, where you had protesters having– you understand, losing their eyes, losing their hands.

The distinction here– and this is what makes it frightening– is we’re not discussing grownups. We’re speaking about actual high schoolers. We’re speaking about 15-, 14-year-olds who are being beaten by authorities. And, you understand, there have actually been events. We ought to simply be clear: There have actually been events of, you understand, individuals assaulting policeman, eventuallies firemens. That is the severe minority. And I believe the much larger story here, we’re speaking about a democratic nation where the authorities have actually been assaulting high school trainees. And I believe it’s– once again, it’s recorded. There’s been numerous grievances that have actually been submitted with the French federal government to this impact. This French policing method that was utilized throughout the yellow vests is now being directed versus high schoolers. Which’s likewise stimulating this motion. A great deal of individuals believe it’s undesirable.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to go from Aix-en-Provence, where Cole Stangler is, to Lille, France, from the south to the north of France. Alys Rowlands is a college student and member of the nationwide board of the French trainee union, likewise simply at a demonstration. Alys, thanks a lot for joining us. As we conclude, what do you believe it’s crucial for us to comprehend about this mass demonstration that’s happening in France, and what you’re requiring, and how this might even impact the nationwide elections that are showing up next year in France?

ALYS ROWLANDS: Yeah, definitely. I believe the most crucial thing here is that it began with the high schoolers. Today, it’s likewise college student, however we’ve seen likewise instructors. We’ve seen farmers. We’ve seen the yellow vesters who wish to sign up with once again. We’ve seen everybody wish to join this mobilization, due to the fact that I believe what’s really fascinating about this one here is that everybody is deeply, deeply upset. We are totally fed up of the living conditions, the school conditions, the work conditions that we have, and everybody is actually, truly deeply mad. Which’s what’s truly fascinating at the minute.

The trainees, like they’ve stated, are being faced with actually strong repression from the cops forces. As they stated in the past, there are lots of kids. This is kids who are being contended with rubber bullets and tear gas and water cannons, who are being gone after, who are being, you understand, apprehended enormously. And this is totally unprecedented in the past. It’s just been a week of this mobilization with the various demonstrations and schools being obstructed, and so on, and it’s currently over 5,000 individuals apprehended, and, as you stated, primarily kids. Therefore, this is entirely various from things that we’ve seen before.

And since France, it’s– frequently there are mobilizations and things, however this is entirely a various percentage, due to the fact that individuals are truly deeply mad about what’s going on and the conditions that we are residing in. And I believe this will have an effect, due to the fact that we’re currently seeing things altering. What individuals desire right now, it’s not one reform. It’s not one thing. It’s a deep modification in the system and more spending plans for the general public services in France, which lags all of this.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Alys, what is your sense of the– excuse me– the action of grownups, of the moms and dads of these kids, of the basic society to the manner in which the federal government has responded to the trainee demonstrations?

ALYS ROWLANDS: Yeah, that’s a fascinating concern, due to the fact that we can see in demonstrations loads of moms and dads. And we’ve seen online, on TikTok and the various apps, that the instructors and moms and dads have actually been signing up with the demonstrations, since they comprehend that the trainees, the high schoolers specifically, are actually deeply upset and they are entirely fed up of going to school and after that there being rats and the ceiling dropping and chemical items in the ceiling that are offering us cancer. Like, it’s totally– it’s totally crazy. Therefore, the moms and dads and instructors, however likewise, much larger, the basic population are entirely with the mobilizations.

The media are just revealing violence and this and that. The real violence is the violence of the authorities, the violence of the repression. How is it possible that kids, 14-year-olds, are having their eyes being blown off, their hands being blown off, their teeth being totally removed by these rubber bullets and tear gas? How is it possible that this is taking place in France today? 5 thousand individuals detained, mainly kids, how is this possible? The real violence is the violence of the state that we are being confronted with throughout the day, every day, all year. That’s the real violence: having no cash, having problem ending up the month, having less and less assistance from the state, needing to pick in between consuming and putting your heating on throughout the winter season. It’s that type of violence that we are confronted with all year. Therefore, you understand, the moms and dads and the instructors and, broader, the basic population are entirely concurring with the– whatever that they desire, the trainees, the high schoolers, the college student, however likewise much larger. Everybody has things they wish to alter.

AMY GOODMAN: Alys Rowlands, we wish to thank you for being with us from Lille, from the north of France, college student, member of the nationwide board of the FSUFrench trainee union. I likewise wish to thank Cole Stangler, reporter based in France, covering politics and labor problems, joining us from Aix-en-Provence in the south, and Claire Vigneau, basic secretary of the French trainee union, joining us from the streets of Rennes, where the huge demonstration likewise is occurring today, as it is throughout the nation. And simply to highlight something Juan stated about the heat and the absence of a/c, this isn’t simply a high-end. We’re discussing 8,000 individuals in France this summer season passed away from heat.

Showing up, we go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the death toll from Ebola has actually topped 4,000. Stay with us.

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AMY GOODMAN: “Freedom Is Free” by Chicano Batman.

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