Today, a French student union reported that 1,800 of the country's approximately 3,700 high schools have been blockaded. Authorities report that classes have been fully or partially disrupted at 891 schools.
Up to 200,000 protesters could take to the streets across France today; according to BFMTV, authorities expect between 150,000 and 200,000 participants.
In several cities, protests escalated into clashes: police used tear gas in Strasbourg, Lyon, and Rennes, while protesters engaged in arson.
A total of 6,100 people have been detained since the protests began, the vast majority of them minors. Government figures indicate that 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have been injured.
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The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned France’s ambassador to Tehran over the French security forces’ handling of student protests, calling for respect for the protesters’ fundamental rights and peaceful assembly.
ReplyDeleteDuring the summons meeting on Tuesday, Hamid Ahmadi, Acting Director General of the Human Rights Department at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reminded France of its human rights obligations under international treaties and instruments. He urged the country to uphold fundamental human rights and freedoms, especially the right of the French people to hold peaceful gatherings.
Ahmadi expressed serious concern over the French security forces’ violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, which resulted in injuries and disabilities among a number of protesters, including some who had lost their sight, as well as the arrest of more than 5,000 people. He emphasized that such a level of force against those participating in peaceful protests is completely unjustifiable.
Referring to reports and images that depict security forces and armed police entering classrooms and assaulting students and teachers, he urged the establishment of an independent mechanism to investigate serious human rights violations. He also emphasized the need to address numerous accounts of excessive use of force and violations of the sanctity of schools by French police.
Ahmadi highlighted the protesters’ legitimate demands for the fundamental right to education and for access to a fair and non-discriminatory education system in France, calling on the French government to respect the legitimate and lawful rights of its citizens, particularly the younger generation, and to hold accountable those responsible for serious human rights violations.