Over 1300 arrested in police crackdown on protesters in France, PM’s key meet with student leaders today
French police arrested 1,314 people during the weekend protests over the rising cost of living, while 53 officers were injured in clashes, the country’s Interior Ministry said as violence erupted on the sidelines of mass demonstrations in major cities on Saturday, marking the second consecutive weekend of unrest.
The protests come as France approaches its presidential elections in April and May, when voters will elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, who is nearing the end of his constitutionally permitted two terms.
According to the Interior Ministry, police responded to 75 fires during Saturday’s demonstrations, while 24 shops were looted. Authorities have launched several investigations into the incidents, although officials did not provide further details. The ministry said the remainder of Saturday night was calm after the clashes subsided.
The ministry did not disclose the total number of protesters injured. However, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported late Saturday that two demonstrators had suffered serious injuries, one in Toulouse and another in Clermont-Ferrand.
Protesters suffer injuries in police action
Authorities in Toulouse said a 20-year-old man sustained a serious hand injury during the demonstrations. A street medic who treated protesters told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the man had lost several fingers on his right hand.
In Clermont-Ferrand, another man suffered a hand injury, although local authorities said he had not lost any fingers.
Regional newspaper La Nouvelle Republique also reported that a man in Poitiers had sustained an injury to his left eye. The newspaper’s photographer told AFP that the 19-year-old was injured during a riot police operation involving stun grenades and tear gas.
Several incidents in recent weeks have involved demonstrators being seriously injured by police stun grenades or tear gas grenades during student protests. It remains unclear whether the injuries reported during Saturday’s demonstrations were caused by such weapons. Authorities have opened investigations into at least some of the cases.
Key meeting with student leaders today
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is scheduled to meet student representatives on Monday alongside Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste.
The meeting, to be held at the prime minister’s office in Matignon, Paris, comes amid mounting pressure on the government to deliver promised education reforms and address concerns over conditions in the country’s schools.
Geffray and Baptiste are expected to address journalists at a news conference following the meeting.
Why are protests happening in France?
French high school students have been campaigning for more than a month, demanding improved school conditions and reforms to the education system. Their demonstrations have included blockades of school premises.
However, the police response has drawn sharp criticism from parents, students, human rights groups and opposition politicians, who have accused authorities of using excessive force to control the protests.
With inputs from AFP
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