Schoolchildren whose protests have caused shockwaves across France were forced into an awkward retreat after parents arrived to pull them away from the unrest.
France has endured weeks of disorder and violence linked to deteriorating school conditions, with riot police confronting hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in towns and cities nationwide.
In dramatic scenes, officers in full body armour pushed back balaclava-wearing protesters while dodging a barrage of stones and rocks. Police used tear gas and pepper spray as they attempted to break up the crowds.
Yet although the students may appear less intimidated by the authorities, footage suggests many remain wary of their parents.
Videos circulating online show angry mothers and fathers reprimanding their children and dragging them away from the demonstrations.
In one clip, a furious mother gets out of her car and runs towards her son as smoke rises behind him.
She seizes the boy with her left hand, using her right to strike him on the back as she forces him towards the vehicle. The woman then manages to bundle her much taller son inside.
Another video shows a mother gripping her disgruntled daughter’s clothing and pulling her through a crowd of pupils gathered at a school blockade.
The girl initially resists and refuses to move, but eventually gives in after locking eyes with her visibly enraged mother.
A furious mother grabs her protesting son after running from her car
A father was filmed calmly leading his son away from the protesting students, guiding him by the back of the neck. The video is captioned: ‘A fair-haired, white father is coming to pick up his son’
A mother grips her disgruntled daughter’s clothing and pulls her through a crowd of pupils at a school blockade
In a separate incident, a father was filmed calmly steering his son away from the protesting students, guiding him by the back of the neck.
Screams can be heard in the background as police block the street ahead. The video carries the caption: ‘a fair-haired, white father is coming to pick up his son’.
France’s interior ministry said around 256,000 people were expected to take to the streets yesterday, with students joining demonstrators from the country’s powerful trade unions.
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Among those taking part was the far-Left mayor of Saint-Denis, a deprived Paris suburb, who faced intense scrutiny after praising student protesters and joining them on the front lines.
The mayor, a member of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, was criticised last week after saying: ‘Violence can become legitimate at a certain point.’
Officials said 488 people were arrested during the day, while lessons at 891 of France’s 3,700 lycees were either partially or completely suspended.
The clashes have also led to a series of alarming incidents, including one in which a 15-year-old protester lost a hand after a stun grenade exploded.
Amid growing accusations of police brutality, officials announced today that stun grenades would no longer be fired at protesting students.
Police spray CS gas as they clash with students on Boulevard Saint-Germain during a protest outside Sciences Po on Wednesday
But Sebastien Lecornu, France’s prime minister, rejected accusations of ‘police repression’ during a tense parliamentary session on Tuesday where he accused the leader of LFI Jean-Luc Melenchon of intentionally fuelling unrest.
This comes as officials announced one police officer has been charged over a separate incident where a 14-year-old student was struck in the face by a tear-gas grenade launched at close range. He lost several teeth.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy had been arrested on Monday for allegedly taking part in a gang attack on a policewoman in Paris.
Students have been protesting failing school conditions for weeks. But discontent boiled over last week into violent clashes with police across hundreds of campuses.
Protesters walked out complaining of missing teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.
The demonstrations quickly turned into pupils lighting dustbin fires, torching bus shelters and clashing with riot police, who have in turn responded with batons, tear gas and riot-control rounds.
The government ordered schools to halt lesson time until Friday for ‘internal democracy’.
But student unions remain doubtful and have called for blockades to continue until Wednesday. An ‘Act IV’ of nationwide protests has also been ordered on Thursday.
READ MORE: Student union warns France riots ‘WILL intensify’ if they are ‘not listened to’ despite days of violent clashes and 256,000 taking to the streets on Tuesday alone
