French student protesters swarm historic Bastille site and slam education leaders pledge for change as hot air
High school students and their supporters swarmed France’s historic Place de la Bastille on Thursday in their latest violent clash with police — as fuming protesters blasted the Ministry of Education’s pledge for change as “hot air.”The unrest, now in its third week, saw Paris police fire water cannons and tear gas at the teens and teachers who had hijacked the Bastille plaza, the site where the French Revolution began.Images from the tense standoff show protesters fighting with riot police in the middle of the square as water cannons douse signs and smoke from tear gas fills the air.Despite the protests rocking the capital and raging across the country, the French Ministry of Education claimed Thursday’s demonstrations showed signs that the movement — over poor school conditions brought on by the country’s failing economy — was waning.Only 224 schools were closed in the morning over the protests, with the number dropping to 157 by lunchtime, meaning that 96% of the schools were operating on Thursday, the ministry said.The number of protesters also fell to only 71,500, according to the interior ministry, plummeting from Tuesday’s demonstration of more than 266,000.Education Minister Edouard Geffray appeared to capitalize on the situation and met with students and teachers in Reims, with officials launching an emergency plan to address some of the protestors demands.Geffray vowed to ensure that “absent teachers can be replaced on a long-term basis,” while announcing that heavy school timetables were also under review.Student protest leaders, however, slammed the government’s promises as “hot air.”“Our demands must be heard,” student union leader Ryad Rani said in a statement before he called for a nationwide protest and strike on Oct.17.“The mobilization will continue, we’re not backing down on anything,” he added.
Public opinion over the protests has remained mixed across France, with 72% agreeing that students have legitimat...