French school blockades to resume Monday, group says

Some French high schools will be blockaded from Monday as students return from a two-week holiday, Pierre Sourzat, head of the Lyceens! student group, said on Sunday.

Sourzat told broadcaster RMC that the action would be “more significant from Tuesday” but that some schools would be blocked from Monday. He said his group supported students taking part.

The announcement followed a third consecutive weekend of protests across France, with hundreds of thousands of people, including high school and university students, taking to the streets on Saturday.

France’s protest movement against soaring prices grew out of weeks of demonstrations by high school students over deteriorating learning conditions and inequality.

The government announced measures on Monday aimed at addressing student demands, including replacing the university admissions platform and providing loans for school renovations. Student representatives said the proposals were insufficient.

Sabrine Kharbach, spokeswoman for Union Etudiante, said on Saturday that blockades of universities and high schools would take place on Tuesday and Thursday.

President Emmanuel Macron has called for classes to resume calmly, saying “young people have been heard”. Sourzat said the president had not listened to students and criticised the proposed admissions changes and class-size measures as inadequate.