UN Experts Slam France Over Police Crackdown on Student Protests

By Staff, Agencies

United Nations human rights experts have condemned the excessive use of force by French authorities against nationwide student protests, warning that mass arrests, detentions, and serious injuries are discouraging demonstrators from exercising their fundamental rights.

In a statement issued Wednesday, four experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council said the arrests and detention of several thousand people, many of them minors, appeared disproportionate and undermined freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. 

Among them were Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the freedom of peaceful assembly, and Farida Shaheed, the UN expert on cultural rights. They also criticized the authorities for prioritizing security measures over addressing the root causes of the unrest.

The demonstrations, which began in mid-September, were initially sparked by deteriorating school facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and teacher shortages. 

They later expanded to include broader grievances over the rising cost of living, with incidents of rioting and looting reported alongside nationwide protests. On Saturday, French authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel and arrested 1,000 people as approximately 410,000 protesters took to the streets nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry. 

A week earlier, 2,700 people had been arrested following vandalism targeting public buildings and widespread looting of businesses.

Student representatives have described the protests as an expression of widespread frustration with President Emmanuel Macron and his policies. 

Alice Cohen-Morzadec, spokesperson for the Union Etudiante, said the demonstrators were reacting to policies they believe have undermined their rights and living conditions. 

Analysts have also linked the government's difficulties in addressing students' demands to France's fiscal crisis and planned budget cuts affecting education.

The UN experts expressed particular concern over serious injuries sustained by underage protesters during police operations. In one incident in the northern city of Lille, a teenager lost a hand after a grenade exploded during clashes between students and police. 

Describing such injuries as unacceptable and unjustifiable, the experts called for a comprehensive review of French policing strategies to protect demonstrators' rights and facilitate peaceful resolutions to social tensions. They confirmed they were in contact with French authorities over the issue.