The key points are temporarily unavailable. You can still read the full Story below.
Main Points
France’s President Calls for Return to Schools Amid Ongoing Student Protests Paris – President Emmanuel Macron urged French secondary schools to resume classes on Monday, the day after the autumn holidays, in an effort to calm tensions that have escalated over weeks of student demonstrations. In a video interview posted on the YouTube channel HugoDécrypte, Macron said, “I want the institutes to reopen after the All Saints holidays, because when we talk about the future of our young people, it is necessary that they can return to class.” Macron said the government had heard students’ demands and was working to restore normalcy in educational institutions. “What I want, above all, is for them to return to classes, for calm to return, and for institutes to reopen in good conditions,” he added. After a month of protests and school blockades, the government announced on Monday a series of measures aimed at addressing the youth movement’s demands. Among the proposals is a phased replacement of Parcoursup, the university admissions platform, before 2028. Macron also pledged to improve the material conditions of schools, outlining a concrete action plan. Student organisations, however, have called the announcements insufficient and urged the continuation of mobilisations. Their representatives are scheduled to meet with Interior Minister Laurent Nuzé on Thursday. The students accuse the minister of excessive police force during the demonstrations. Macron described the violent episodes that occurred during the protests as a “collective failure” and expressed “support and compassion” for both injured students and security forces. He noted that neither the students who participated in the protests nor the police intended to be involved in such severe incidents. When asked about injuries, including a 16‑year‑old in Tours who lost an eye and a 15‑year‑old in Lens who lost a hand after a police grenade exploded, Macron said the cases caused him deep pain and that “nothing justifies” those outcomes. The president explained that he had not made specific statements about the student movement until now because his earlier remarks referred to the disturbances, looting, and attacks on 17 October, not to the weeks of mobilisation that began in late September. He also mentioned that more than fifty investigations have been opened into possible irregularities by security forces, while defending the need to maintain public order. Macron acknowledged that the initial police response on 17 October had been inadequately prepared for the events, when unknown groups attacked public buildings and shops in several cities. He attributed the scale of the unrest to a combination of lack of anticipation, the actions of far‑left groups, and looting. Students plan to attend a “cacerolada” (pot‑banging protest) on Friday, called by the “yellow‑vest” movement, at various locations across the country, including the front of the National Assembly. The following day, they will join demonstrations called by unions and the yellow‑vest movement in a third consecutive Saturday of protest. From Monday, school blockades are expected to resume after the holiday break, and on 5 November students will participate in a general strike called by the unions. Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario
France’s President Calls for Return to Schools Amid Ongoing Student Protests Paris – President Emmanuel Macron urged French secondary schools to resume classes on Monday, the day after the autumn holidays, in an effort to calm tensions that have escalated over weeks of student demonstrations. In a video interview posted on the YouTube channel HugoDécrypte, Macron said, “I want the institutes to reopen after the All Saints holidays, because when we talk about the future of our young people, it is necessary that they can return to class.” Macron said the government had heard students’ demands and was working to restore normalcy in educational institutions. “What I want, above all, is for them to return to classes, for calm to return, and for institutes to reopen in good conditions,” he added. After a month of protests and school blockades, the government announced on Monday a series of measures aimed at addressing the youth movement’s demands. Among the proposals is a phased replacement of Parcoursup, the university admissions platform, before 2028. Macron also pledged to improve the material conditions of schools, outlining a concrete action plan. Student organisations, however, have called the announcements insufficient and urged the continuation of mobilisations. Their representatives are scheduled to meet with Interior Minister Laurent Nuzé on Thursday. The students accuse the minister of excessive police force during the demonstrations. Macron described the violent episodes that occurred during the protests as a “collective failure” and expressed “support and compassion” for both injured students and security forces. He noted that neither the students who participated in the protests nor the police intended to be involved in such severe incidents. When asked about injuries, including a 16‑year‑old in Tours who lost an eye and a 15‑year‑old in Lens who lost a hand after a police grenade exploded, Macron said the cases caused him deep pain and that “nothing justifies” those outcomes. The president explained that he had not made specific statements about the student movement until now because his earlier remarks referred to the disturbances, looting, and attacks on 17 October, not to the weeks of mobilisation that began in late September. He also mentioned that more than fifty investigations have been opened into possible irregularities by security forces, while defending the need to maintain public order. Macron acknowledged that the initial police response on 17 October had been inadequately prepared for the events, when unknown groups attacked public buildings and shops in several cities. He attributed the scale of the unrest to a combination of lack of anticipation, the actions of far‑left groups, and looting. Students plan to attend a “cacerolada” (pot‑banging protest) on Friday, called by the “yellow‑vest” movement, at various locations across the country, including the front of the National Assembly. The following day, they will join demonstrations called by unions and the yellow‑vest movement in a third consecutive Saturday of protest. From Monday, school blockades are expected to resume after the holiday break, and on 5 November students will participate in a general strike called by the unions.
News Desk is the editorial publishing account for Tringlobe Media News, covering breaking news, public affairs, entertainment, community developments and regional stories across Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and internationally.
