UN voices concern as thousands of students placed in custody during French high-school protests
Since the start of the high-school demonstrations, 6,877 people - most of them minors - have been held in police custody, and the UN has expressed concern, urging proportional use of force.
A judicial tally issued on Friday recorded 6,877 people placed in police custody since the high-school protests began, with 86% being minors. The figures include 21 arrests and 21 orders for provisional detention, affecting 15 adults and 6 minors. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said it is following the situation with concern and urged authorities to ensure peaceful demonstrations and to avoid disproportionate force.
Students are rallying for improved learning conditions, renovated facilities and the abolition of the Parcoursup selection platform. The unrest has seen episodes of arson, vandalism and clashes, prompting the government to label some acts as “unqualifiable”. Injuries reported include a 15-year-old who lost a hand to a grenade in Lens and a 16-year-old who lost the use of an eye in Tours.
In Paris, police evacuated tens of thousands of demonstrators from the Bastille square using tear-gas. An inter-syndical group has scheduled further protests and a strike ahead of the school holidays.
Why it matters
The scale of student detentions and UN concern highlight tensions over education reforms and policing in France.
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