- Saint-Denis Mayor protected students from police; called action disproportionate.
- Students protest poor school conditions nationwide, unrest now widespread.
- Thousands arrested, dozens injured amid heavy-handed police tactics.
- Government reviewing demands, suspended stun grenades; schools damaged.
A viral video from France’s ongoing student protests shows Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko standing between police and young demonstrators, shielding them as officers moved towards the group and shouting “stop”.
Bagayoko, a member of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI), said he intervened during Tuesday’s march after police moved to charge the students. He said several protesters had shown no aggressive behaviour towards officers and that he was urging police not to move against them.
Police eventually fired tear gas at the group, including the mayor, Bagayoko told reporters on Wednesday at his town hall office in Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
Mayor Says Students ‘Could Be My Children’
Bagayoko said he had been supporting students in his working-class suburb and believed it was his responsibility to stand by them.
“The high school children who were in the street could be my children … it is my responsibility to be at their side,” he said.
In a post on X, Bagayoko described the police action as a “totally disproportionate use of force” against young people who were simply asking to be heard. He urged the Interior Minister to urgently review the directives before a tragedy occurred.
Bagayoko also called on protesters to remain united and non-violent, saying their numbers and determination would force the government to listen.
Student Protests Spread Across France
Tuesday’s confrontation came amid more than two weeks of student protests across France. The demonstrations began in marginalised areas of Paris, including Saint-Denis, where poverty levels are more than twice the national average.
Students have been protesting over overcrowded and unsanitary classrooms, teacher shortages and unequal opportunities. The unrest has also fuelled wider public anger six months ahead of an election to replace French President Emmanuel Macron.
More than 6,000 people have been arrested and dozens of students injured since the protests began. Rights groups and unions have accused police of using heavy-handed tactics against minors, including batons, tear gas and non-lethal flashball guns.
Government Faces Pressure As Unrest Continues
Authorities have said hundreds of police officers have also been injured, while schools have been burned or ransacked and teachers and members of the public attacked.
The government has suggested that LFI politicians were behind the protests, an allegation Bagayoko dismissed as insulting to the young demonstrators.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Wednesday that the government would review the students’ demands and present proposals by the end of October, without providing details.
The government also suspended the use of stun grenades during the protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand in a clash with riot police in the northern city of Lens on Monday. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there was a “strong possibility” that a stun grenade caused the injury and that 18 incidents had been referred to the police inspectorate for investigation.
The move, however, did little to ease the unrest. More than 500 schools remained closed a day after demonstrations swept across the country, while unions representing high-school students, teachers and other workers planned further marches.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray told parliament that 24 high schools had been damaged by fire or vandalism badly enough to remain closed for weeks, affecting around 30,000 students. He estimated the cost of repairs at between 20 million and 30 million euros.
Despite the disruption, many demonstrations remained peaceful. At a high school in central Paris on Wednesday, protesters sang the Marseillaise, chanted slogans and performed Mexican waves while blockading the entrance.
Police, however, used tear gas and pushed back protesters outside Sciences Po university in central Paris.
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