Brief
Paris students build barricades with bins as protests turn violent
Teenagers in Paris used wheelie bins and shopping trolleys to block school entrances, prompting violent police responses and a surge in arrests.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Before dawn on Tuesday, hundreds of teenagers gathered outside the Lycée Sophie‑Germain in central Paris, dragging wheelie bins, metal barriers and shopping trolleys to build a barricade in front of the school, the Guardian reported.
The students hoisted banners demanding more funding and greater equality in French schools while also denouncing the French riot police, whom human‑rights groups have accused of disproportionate force. A chant of “Everyone hates the police” was heard from a group of 15‑ and 16‑year‑olds.
According to the French government, at least 215 teenagers, 715 police officers and 85 teaching staff have been injured in recent clashes. Ten investigations into possible police brutality are under way after reports of severe injuries, including a 15‑year‑old who lost a hand, another who lost an eye, and a boy whose jaw and teeth were shattered.
Livia, a 17‑year‑old theatre student who asked that her real name not be used, said, “We’re teenagers with wheelie bins, and the police have heavy weapons, it’s totally mismatched.” She added that the policing amounted to “state violence” that was “planned and deliberate.” Lily, a 17‑year‑old social‑science student, described the injuries as “catastrophic,” noting that a boy had lost an eye.
Signs held by nearby protesters read, “A state that gases high school students is a weak state,” and “Gas rapists, not children,” referencing calls for stricter sexual‑violence laws. Another banner declared, “Not here to riot.”
The movement, which began in a low‑income Paris suburb, has spread nationwide, forcing the closure of hundreds of high schools. The justice ministry said 5,060 people have been arrested since the protests began, 87 % of them minors.
Key facts
- Hundreds of teenagers built barricades with wheelie bins outside Lycée Sophie‑Germain in Paris. (theguardian.com)
- The French government reports 215 teenagers, 715 police officers and 85 teaching staff injured. (theguardian.com)
- Ten investigations into police brutality have been launched after severe injuries to minors. (theguardian.com)
- 5,060 arrests have been made since the protests began, 87 % of them minors. (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police”
