Mobilised secondary school students: 504 arrests and violence against schools and police
A day of secondary school student demonstrations deteriorated into serious incidents: 504 arrests and 48 police officers wounded, including a deputy head teacher burned on the face by a firework mortar.
Thursday on the margins of a national secondary school movement
According to the Interior Ministry, 504 people were arrested on Thursday during secondary school student mobilisations, whilst 48 police officers and gendarmes sustained injuries, according to Actu17. Place Beauvau noted "an increase in urban violence" that particularly targeted teachers and educational establishments.
The ministry estimates that 71,500 secondary school students participated in the processions and static demonstrations, including 24,500 in Paris. Furthermore, approximately 55,000 people gathered outside educational establishments without systematically joining the organised marches. The processions declared by the unions took place without major incidents, but overflows arose during dispersions, notably at Place de la Bastille.
Serious incidents against establishments
In Poitiers, a fire broke out during the night of Wednesday to Thursday within a secondary school and spread to a teacher's vehicle. Thursday morning, in Saint-Étienne, several dozen individuals forced the entrance to a secondary school and damaged the canteen. In Saint-Chamond, a deputy head teacher was burned on the face by a firework mortar.
In Bayonne, windows of the caretaker's accommodation were destroyed and mortar fire reached teachers. In Toulouse, a head teacher was struck by an adult protester. The ministry also reported "violent intrusions" in Lormont and Lorient, "where acts of vandalism took place".
Attacks against law enforcement
Police officers and gendarmes came under attack on numerous occasions, notably from mortar fire. In Gleizé, a police officer was wounded to the shoulder and targeted "at head height by mortar fire". In Reims, another police officer was wounded in the eye by mortar fire in front of a secondary school.
Buildings and vehicles of law enforcement were also targeted. In Strasbourg, a police vehicle was set alight. Damage was caused to the police station in La Rochelle, and the Capucins police station in Bordeaux was the victim of an attempted arson.
Context of the mobilisations
Thursday's secondary school movement represents a significant decline compared to the mobilisation on Tuesday, during which 266,000 people had been counted, including 56,000 in Paris. On Monday, the tally had reached 984 arrests and 65 police officers and gendarmes wounded.
Since 28 September, the overall cumulative total has reached 6,059 arrests and 715 police officers and gendarmes wounded. The Interior Minister convened the regional prefects, the directors-general of the national police and gendarmerie as well as the police prefect on Thursday evening, in order to assess the situation across the territory and adapt security arrangements.
Source: Actu17