Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused French police of using excessive force against student protesters, as demonstrations over teacher shortages and poor school conditions continue across France. Thunberg made the allegations on Tuesday while joining students protesting outside Paul Eluard High School in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, where…...
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused French police of using excessive force against student protesters, as demonstrations over teacher shortages and poor school conditions continue across France.
Thunberg made the allegations on Tuesday while joining students protesting outside Paul Eluard High School in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, where she criticised the French government for failing to address the protesters’ demands.
According to a post by a UAE media agency, Viory, the accused the authorities of prioritising the interests of a privileged few over the needs of the wider population.
“The response from the French government and from the establishment as a whole has just shown they’re completely out of touch with reality and what the people actually want,” Thunberg said.
She added that the protesters were demonstrating how young people could challenge what she described as an unjust system.
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“The French students are now showing the world how we should be standing up and how we should be revolting against an extremely violent system. And they are leading by example,” she said.
The activist also condemned the police response to the demonstrations, accusing officers of deploying excessive force against young people demanding better conditions.
“The police have been responding with extreme brutality against children who are demanding their basic rights,” she said.
Thunberg further alleged that the authorities were hoping the protests would eventually lose momentum, but insisted that the grievances behind the demonstrations remained unresolved.
“They’re hoping that it will fade out. But these young people understand very well that this is an institutional problem and that the fight is only, only begun,” she said.
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The demonstrations began on September 21, with students protesting teacher shortages and deteriorating conditions in schools across France.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 260,000 people participated in demonstrations last Tuesday.
By October 8, authorities had detained 6,877 people, including 5,890 minors, while 2,376 people faced prosecution.
Reports of alleged excessive police force and injuries to both protesters and officers have also drawn scrutiny from the United Nations.
One teenager reportedly lost a hand after being struck by a police stun grenade, prompting authorities to prohibit the weapon’s use during the protests.
In response to the education crisis, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced plans to recruit 3,000 substitute teachers, while the government proposed increasing the 2027 education budget by 1.4 per cent to 90.9 billion euros ($101.8 billion).
However, students have rejected the measures as inadequate.
President Emmanuel Macron has called for dialogue, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has condemned violence associated with the demonstrations.