The student protest movement, which has spread throughout France, has now spiraled out of control, said the Paris police chief on Saturday, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful forms of protest and warning that authorities will respond firmly to violence and acts of vandalism.
Paris police chief, Patrice Faure, stated in an open letter published on platform X, ahead of new protests scheduled to start on Tuesday, that the movement’s initiators no longer control it and urged students to refrain from blocking schools and causing public disturbances, opting instead for peaceful forms of protest, as reported by Reuters.
„It’s time to return to peaceful forms of action,” Faure wrote, also emphasizing that parents have the responsibility to keep their children away from what he described as the influence of „professional agitators” and their supporters.
French high school students clashed with the police again on Friday in several cities across France, and unions have called on teachers to go on strike, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s government tries to contain the increasingly violent protests related to school conditions and education system funding.
Starting from Monday, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been detained nationwide, and dozens have been injured.
Agathe Foucault, a spokesperson for the national police, stated on Saturday for RTL radio that over 600 police officers have also been injured.
Teachers and citizens have been attacked, and material damages are estimated at tens of millions of euros.
T.D.