Student Protest, All Ages Join French
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There were further isolated blockades at French secondary schools and universities on Wednesday morning, including the elite Parisian institution Sciences Po, after Tuesday's large-scale rallies. As
French students sang a rap referencing terror attacks during protests, prompting investigations in two separate incidents.
The rallies are a test of the strength of the student-led protest movement that has closed hundreds of French high schools since late September.
Teenagers blockaded some high schools and prepared to rally again after the government promised to address their grievances about teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings but gave no specific details.
French phenom Victor Wembanyama did not get lost in translation when he voiced direct support for the tens of thousands of students in his home country. As student protests sweep Europe, thousands of French high school students took to the streets to protest severe funding and staffing shortages in education.
Protests are so embedded in French political life that “the streets” are considered a fourth branch, a last resort when the legislative, executive and judicial are unresponsive.
Protests in France show no sign of easing, with unions representing high school students, teachers and other workers planning more marches.
French activists were set to rally across France on Thursday, in a test of the longevity of a nationwide student protest movement.