The Swedish activist joined demonstrations in Saint-Denis as students called for action on teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school facilities.
Web Desk: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined French high school students protesting over deteriorating learning conditions on Tuesday as demonstrations continued across the country.
Thunberg, 23, stood alongside pupils outside Paul Éluard high school in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris that has become a focal point of the student movement.
“Young people are not being included in the conversation. Our future is being robbed away from us,” Thunberg told reporters, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The demonstrations, which began in late September, have drawn support from university students, teachers, unions and political groups. Participants are demanding improvements to public education, including action on teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings.
Students Demand Better School Conditions
French students say persistent staffing shortages and inadequate facilities are undermining the quality of education.
Their complaints include too many absent teachers, overcrowded schedules and school buildings in need of repair. Demonstrators are also demanding greater investment in secondary education.
The protests have spread beyond the Paris region, with rallies reported in cities including Nantes, Strasbourg, Lyon and Marseille.
In Nantes, demonstrators marched behind a banner reading, “Schools without money, a country without a future,” according to AFP.
The movement has attracted thousands of participants, with more than 70,000 people taking to the streets during a major demonstration the previous Thursday, AFP reported.
Greta Thunberg Voices Support for Students
Thunberg became internationally known as a teenager for organising school strikes demanding stronger action on climate change.
Her participation has brought additional international attention to the French demonstrations, which focus primarily on education funding and school conditions.
At the Saint-Denis gathering, the activist criticised the exclusion of young people from decisions affecting their future.
Her involvement comes as students continue to call for a greater role in discussions about education policy and public investment.
Protests Draw Scrutiny Over Police Response
Although many demonstrations have remained peaceful, some have been accompanied by clashes with police and reports of injuries.
The French Justice Ministry said more than 6,800 people, most of them minors, had been taken into police custody over the course of the protests. Police had also opened internal investigations into 24 allegations of brutality against demonstrators, according to AFP.
The Education Ministry reported that 147 teaching staff members had been injured during the protests. Authorities also reported injuries among school workers and a police officer in incidents involving fireworks on Monday.
These figures cover the wider protest movement, not solely Tuesday’s demonstration in Saint-Denis.
The allegations of police brutality remain subject to investigation.
Government Promises Additional Teachers
The French government has announced plans to deploy approximately 3,000 substitute teachers to address staffing shortages at 114 of the most affected high schools.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Tuesday that 35 per cent of the substitute teachers had already been assigned.
However, students and their supporters say broader concerns about education funding, staffing and school infrastructure remain unresolved.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for restraint and dialogue on Monday, saying the issues required consultation and discussion.
The government now faces pressure to respond to the students’ demands while managing disruption to schools and maintaining public order.
More Demonstrations Expected
The student movement was preparing for further action as the country approached its half-term holidays later in the week.
Tuesday’s demonstrations were also expected to be followed by wider public rallies against the rising cost of living on Saturday.
Whether the protests will lead to further government commitments remains unclear. Students have indicated that they intend to continue pressing for improvements to school conditions.
