World News by Wild Rose

In the early days of the student protests in France, mainstream Western media took the protesters’ claims about poor school facilities and declining resources at face value. Only when the violence spread across the country, and to some of its European neighbours, did people begin to ask whether deeper causes were at play. Leftists blame social problems, from the cost-of-living pressures linked to the war in Ukraine to rising unemployment, especially among the young. Right-wing critics blame...

Student protests in France began more than a month ago, over poor conditions in high schools, teacher shortages, the pace of the school day and inequalities between private and public education. The movement has since grown into a broader mobilisation, bringing together the Yellow Vests, trade unions and wider civil society. Joseph Downing, Senior lecturer in politics and international relations and Aston University, shares further details,

Dozens of protesters took to the Paris streets on Thursday despite bans on demonstrations ordered in multiple French cities following a weekend of clashes and widespread looting that marked France’s most violent unrest in years.

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Axel Berra-Vescio, French History-Geography and European section teacher in the Paris region. France's student protests are exposing what educators describe as years of structural neglect, widening educational inequalities and the cumulative consequences of controversial reforms. “We've been ignored basically about every demand we made,” Berra-Vescio says. He also condemns the police response to the demonstrations, warning that repression is unlikely to weaken a movement rooted in years of frustration over the future of public education.

As student protests converge with broader public discontent over the rising cost of living in France, Genie Godula is joined by Sébastien Vieille, national secretary of the SNALC teachers’ union. He offers an assessment of a movement confronting political uncertainty, deteriorating school infrastructure and mounting fiscal constraints. Speaking from Montbéliard in eastern France, Vieille questions whether alliances with larger protest movements, including the Yellow Vests, will strengthen students’ demands or ultimately make them "less visible". 

Prime Minister Edi Rama condemns 'chaos' as protests continue for third day in the capital and spread to other cities.

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police for the third consecutive day on Thursday in Albania, with Prime Minister Edi Rama condemning the “chaos” that caused damage to government buildings. Thousands of protesters are calling for Rama's resignation and better studying conditions for Albanian students.

Albania's capital, Tirana, saw violent clashes between student protesters and police on Tuesday, 13 October, as demonstrations continued overnight into Wednesday.

Student unions in France are hailing what they see as a major concession from the French government after more than two weeks of often violent nationwide student protests: the urgent deployment of some 3,000 supply teachers to schools with the greatest staffing needs. But where exactly are these teachers coming from? And will the move be enough to quell fresh protests, especially amid a renewed debate about overzealous policing tactics? 

French student unions vowed ​on Friday to keep up protests after scoring their first win in a campaign that is increasingly supported by Paris's elite universities, with 141 schools still shut around the country, according to the education ministry. Student and ‌teacher unions have called for another round of nationwide school strikes next Tuesday. FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon reports.

France's ministry of education said that 141 high schools remain closed Friday as national student protests continue despite a pledge from the education minister on Thursday to deploy 3,000 extra substitute teachers. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Erin Ogunkeye welcomes Dr. Antoine Marie, postdoctoral researcher, fellow and lecturer at Sciences Po / CEVIPOF, to explore the political psychology behind France’s student protests. Why do people witness the same events yet reach radically different conclusions about violence? Dr Marie examines how media echo chambers, partisan thinking and the politicization of empathy deepen polarization, making it easier to overlook the suffering of those perceived as political opponents. He also examines France’s increasingly offensive police doctrine, questions surrounding accountability, and the institutional incentives that may actually hinder independent investigations into police misconduct.

Students who have been protesting classroom conditions in France for days are "not looking like they are willing to back down", says France 24 reporter Claire Paccalin, despite promises by the French prime minister to bring in measures to address their grievances.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a televised address Wednesday evening that the country could not be "indifferent" to the concerns of protesting high school students, acknowledging that the "anger of young people does not come from nowhere". He denied that security forces have "orders to confront" the young people, and promised the government would present a plan to respond to the crisis at the end of October. But what measures could the French government introduce and will it be enough to calm the protests? France 24’s Rochelle Ferguson Bouyahi takes a look.

France has suspended the use of stun grenades by police at student-led demonstrations, the interior minister said Wednesday, as allegations of police brutality mounted after days of sometimes violent demonstrations across the country. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Tuesday demanding better conditions in high schools. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis reports.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has tried to calm both student protesters and jittery bond markets. In an address to the nation, Lecornu stressed that the education ministry had not seen any cuts in last week's budget proposal, but insisted the government must cut its public deficit to 5%. There are growing concerns about France's spending and debt, with the IMF urging the country to "get your house in order." Lecornu also confirmed the release of 10 million barrels of diesel fuel. 

Students, parents and trade unions were demonstrating across France Tuesday, protesting what they say is under-investment in high schools. From Mai 68 to the CPE crisis in 2006, major French student and youth protests have pressured leaders and transformed national politics.