Student protests in France: More than 5 thousand people detained
Since the beginning of the student protests in France, more than 5,000 people have been detained. According to the Ministry of the Interior, nearly 85 percent of them are minors, and the majority are school students. Strikes and blockades of entrance routes have affected 564 secondary schools across the country.
**Student protests in France: more than 5,000 people detained**
According to DW, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez provided information on the number of detainees during the protests on the TF1 television channel on October 2.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education reported that strikes and blockades were recorded in 564 out of 3,700 secondary schools in the country.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated on BFMTV that 65 school staff members, including 40 principals, were injured as a result of the unrest. Damage was caused to more than a hundred school buildings.
The minister linked the expansion of the protests to social networks.
The Interior Minister assessed the scale of the protest movements as large and unexpected.
He explained the rapid spread of the protests, among other things, by the influence of social networks and the left-wing populist "La France Insoumise" (France Unbowed) party, which supports the students' demonstrations.
Nuñez emphasized that the situation involving violence had completely spiraled out of the organizers' control.
**Police officer attacked in Belfort**
A video captured on October 2 in the city of Belfort in northeastern France has drawn widespread attention. It depicts a police officer being knocked to the ground and kicked.
According to the Interior Minister, the police officer lost consciousness as a result of the attack and was hospitalized. Later, it was reported that his condition does not cause serious concern.
A criminal case has been opened regarding the incident. The prosecutor of Belfort announced that a 17-year-old teenager was detained as part of the investigation. However, his exact role in the attack has not yet been determined.
**What are the students dissatisfied with?**
The initial protest actions began on September 21 at the Saint-Exupéry Lycée in the city of Créteil near Paris. They subsequently spread across the country.
High school students are dissatisfied with overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, and the poor condition of educational institutions. They also state that the class schedule is overly tight.