Violence Erupts in Paris Amid Student Protests Across France
Violence erupted in Paris on Tuesday amid largely peaceful demonstrations across France, as tens of thousands of people joined a student protest movement sweeping the nation.
At the Place Vauban, next to Les Invalides in the capital's 7th arrondissement, people threw bottles, fireworks, and stones at police whilst officers fired water cannons and teargas as they sought to disperse the crowds.
Clashes Between Protesters and Police in Paris
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 11 police officers had been hospitalised in Paris on Tuesday, which he described as a 'particularly gruelling' day for local law enforcement.
'I wish to reiterate my firm stance against violent individuals who attack the police,' he added in a post on social media.
The police also fired stun grenades on Tuesday, as one officer confirmed to Euronews. The use of stun grenades has come under increasing scrutiny in France, with the government suspending the use of a specific type after a 15-year-old pupil lost his hand during a police operation outside a school earlier this month.
According to authorities, an estimated 161,500 people joined Tuesday's rallies across the country, while 41,500 took to the streets of Paris. Unions put the figure considerably higher, at around 480,000 nationwide.
Protesters' Demands and Concerns
Although many protesters interviewed during previous student demonstrations expressed support for peaceful protests, some questioned on the fringes of Tuesday's clashes argued that violence could be seen as a legitimate response to police brutality.
'This is the education system rising up, students and teachers. There is absolutely no response, no willingness to engage with our demands. All we get from the police is violence, so there's violence in response too, because no one is listening to us,' one protester told Euronews.
He added that in his view, the fact that rioters had destroyed shop windows or set bins alight was not an issue, arguing that insurances would pay for the cost of these damages.
International Support and Criticism
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also made an appearance at a protest in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters outside a high school, Thunberg said: 'Young people are not being included in the conversation. Our future is being robbed away from us.'
Rights groups have accused police of using excessive force as they have responded to protests around France.
Amnesty International France's president, Anne Savinel-Barras, has called for authorities to ensure young people attending the demonstrations are kept as safe as possible.
Stanislas Gaudon, national secretary for Alliance Police Nationale, a major French police union, previously told Euronews that police remained focused on ensuring security around the perimeter of schools.
