French PM slams violence at student protests, promises 'timeout' for democracy
Addressing the parliament during a question session on Tuesday, Lecornu condemned the level of violence seen in recent days during the student-led protests.
The government says at least 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured since the start of the movement.
"Ultra-violence has arrived at the doorstep of high schools. It must be condemned unconditionally. In a functioning democracy, we cannot allow any room for tolerance of violence," he told lawmakers.
"Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings. Lynching a teacher does not help replace teachers," Lecornu said.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities across France in support of protests by school pupils demanding more education funding, increasing pressure on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.
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A total of 891 high schools out of the 3,700 across France had their lessons "suspended, either completely or partially, for various reasons" on Tuesday, the French education ministry said.
The student union organisers of Tuesday's mass protests say 450,000 people – including 100,000 in Paris – have participated in protests across France.
The Interior Ministry put the figure at 256 000 across France, some 56 000 in Paris. Placards at the student protests in Paris 6 October, 2026, including one reading "The future belongs to the young (not to retirees)" and another showing a caricature of French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez (L) and President Emmanuel Macron (R) with the text "Does the government really listen properly?".
Riot police used water cannons to disperse students during a protest in Rennes, western France, and clashes were reported in Lyon and Strasbourg.
Lecornu accused the hard-left party France Unbowed (LFI) of having a "political agenda" to "throw the country into chaos" ahead of the 2027 presidential election and of "sowing chaos" since the start of the high school blockade movement last month.
In response to accusations of police violence, he said suggesting such a thing "cast a slur" on the Republic's police force.
"Can accidents occur during such a sensitive public order operation? The answer is yes. And I say 'accidents' because I also see the term 'police violence' being used. 'Police violence' would imply the existence of political directives for police repression. That is false; it is a lie."
Spaces for debate
In order to calm the situation, Lecornu announced the suspension of high school classes at the end of the week to organise a "period of internal democracy" with students.
This is coupled with an online consultation platform for high school students launched by Education Minister Edouard Geffray on Monday, available until 23 October.
Geffray said on Tuesday that he was addressing the demands of the protestors – including replacement teachers – and would deliver a response by next week.
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Paris's socialist mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, said the capital's town halls are expected to open their doors in the coming days so high school students can come "to gather, debate, and democratically organise" their movement, Grégoire wrote in an open letter to the students sent to French news agency AFP.
"We cannot lament the lack of organisation among these young protestors while at the same time closing high schools and the venues where [their] general assemblies are held," he wrote.
University presidents also called on Tuesday for a "national forum on youth," arguing that it is "urgent to recognise young people" as "key players" in public debate.
This move comes just over six months before the presidential election, amidst a tense social and political climate marked by rising prices and a push for budget cuts – some of which, such as housing benefits, affect young people.
Two student unions L'Union étudiante and the USL (Union syndicale lycéenne) are calling for a new day of action on Thursday.
(with AFP)