Paris police chief says student protest movement out of control, urges peaceful action

Paris Police Chief Urges Peace Amid Escalating Student Protests Across France

Escalation of Student Protests and Official Responses

PARIS, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The student protest movement that has spread across France is now "out of control", the Paris police chief said on Saturday, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful action and warning that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism.

Nationwide Clashes and Arrests

Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Friday and unions called for teachers to strike as President Emmanuel Macron's government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding.

Since Monday, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured.

Impact on Law Enforcement and Public

Agathe Foucault, a spokesperson for the national police, told RTL radio on Saturday that more than 600 police officers had also been injured.

Teachers and members of the public have been attacked, while damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros.

Authorities' Appeals and Warnings

Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X ahead of planned renewed protests from next Tuesday, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it and called on students to abandon school blockades and unrest in favour of peaceful forms of protest.

Call for Peaceful Protest

"It is time to return to peaceful forms of action," Faure wrote, saying parents also had a responsibility to steer their children away from what he described as the influence of "professional rioters" and their supporters.

Upcoming Demonstrations and Security Concerns

Student unions have called for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday. Security officials fear that an organised protest in central Paris in particular could see further violence amid concerns that far-left anarchist groups could hijack the movement.

Underlying Causes of Student Unrest

Classroom Conditions and Funding Issues

The students blockading high schools have voiced anger over overcrowding in classrooms, regular shortages of teachers and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Susan Fenton)