Greta Thunberg Joins French Student Protests for Better Learning Conditions

Key Takeaways

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined French high school students in protests.
Protests focus on issues like absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, and overcrowded classes.
More than 70,000 people participated in the last major event of the movement.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has joined French high school students in their ongoing protests for better learning conditions. The 23-year-old, known for her advocacy on climate change, stood alongside students at the Paul Eluard high school in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

The demonstrations, which are backed by unions and the far-left opposition party France Unbowed, are part of a broader movement that began in late September. More than 70,000 people took to the streets last Thursday, marking a significant show of support for the students.

The protests have seen students blockading school entrances and piling up dumpsters outside hundreds of France’s 3,700 lycees, primarily for students aged 15 to 18. While mostly peaceful, the movement has occasionally seen clashes with police, with eight members of teaching staff injured in the Paris region and cities of Bordeaux and Lyon.

French students are determined to press the government to address their grievances, including the lack of teachers, dilapidated buildings, and overcrowded class schedules. 'Students aren’t being heard enough… not their proposals to authorities and elected officials,' said Leo, a 19-year-old graphic design student in Paris.

The education ministry reported that some near protest routes were closing to avoid damage, with the authorities hoping that the protests would start to ease ahead of half-term holidays. However, the mobilisation is expected to continue, with further public rallies planned for the weekend.

In the southern city of Marseille, students pushed dumpsters on wheels in front of their high school, while in Lyon, protesters held placards and banners during a demonstration. Authorities have reported that fireworks fired through a tube injured two school workers in Reims, one school worker in a Paris suburb, and a police officer outside a school in Marseille.

The protests have also led to thousands of arrests, with authorities noting that the level of repression has never been seen before for a student movement. 'Aren’t being heard' French students say they are determined to press the government to address the problems of too many absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, and overcrowded class schedules.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated that around 200 schools were closed, which is fewer than the previous week. However, the movement shows no signs of slowing down, with more demonstrations planned to continue the fight for better learning conditions.