Macron says French student protesters ‘exploited’ by political forces: Spokeswoman

• Macron said student protesters have “legitimate” concerns, but he believes political forces are using them. He has asked for “concrete responses” within weeks.
• Protests have spread across France for three weeks, with 161,500 people in Oct 13 marches, or 480,000 by union counts. Some marches in Paris and Lyon turned violent, and police used tear gas.
• The unrest has led to claims of police brutality and serious injuries. A 15-year-old lost a hand, a 16-year-old was blinded, and police have opened 36 internal violence probes.

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron believes students waging three weeks of protests that have closed many schools have “legitimate” grievances but are also being “exploited” by political forces, a government spokeswoman said on Oct 14.

The leader, who is in his final six months of office, has asked the government to come up with “concrete responses” within weeks to the unrest by high school pupils, spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told reporters.

She spoke after Macron held his weekly meeting with his Cabinet, a day after nationwide solidarity demonstrations showed significant support for the students.

The interior ministry said 161,500 people turned out for demonstrations on Oct 13 held in Paris and other cities. Unions organising the rallies put the figure at 480,000.

Some violent scenes erupted on the sidelines of marches in Paris and Lyon, with police firing tear gas in response.

In his Cabinet meeting, Macron “stressed that young people have legitimate concerns, but said these are being exploited for political purposes and turned into urban violence”, Bregeon said.

With French presidential elections due in April and May 2027, some opposition parties have seized upon the demonstrations.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the presidential candidate for the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, participated in one of the Paris demonstrations.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen, whom surveys give as the frontrunner for the elections, has voiced support for police deployed to the protests and blamed students for violent episodes.

Alleged police brutality

Students, unions, rights groups and parents have accused the police of brutality against the students, with some of the young protesters maimed.

The family of one 15-year-old high school student who lost his hand when a police stun grenade exploded said on Oct 14 they had started legal action to demand an “impartial” investigation.

One of the family’s lawyers, Bertrand Wattez, said the boy, Evan, denied the police account, relayed by prosecutors, that he had tried to pick up the grenade when it went off on Oct 5. He also denied participating in the student protests in his city of Lens.

The lawyer said that Evan not only lost his left hand as a result of the blast but also several fingers on his right hand.

In another violent incident, a 16-year-old student was blinded during a Sept 30 protest outside his school in Tours. His family blamed the police.

Late on Oct 13, the prosecutor for Tours said the officer involved had been charged with aggravated battery.

Police have opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of officer violence against demonstrators, according to the interior ministry.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said nearly 900 police officers had also suffered injuries during the protests. AFP