UN experts 'appalled' by violence against student protesters, mass arrests in France
- Experts condemn injuries to police officers, damage to buildings and shops, urging investigations and accountability for acts of violence
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- Experts condemn injuries to police officers, damage to buildings and shops, urging investigations and accountability for acts of violence
By Beyza Binnur Donmez
GENEVA (AA) - UN experts on Wednesday condemned violence against student protesters and mass arrests across France, describing serious injuries among minors and the detention of thousands of demonstrators as "unacceptable."
"We are appalled by the level of violence suffered by pupils and students demonstrating across France to demand what is long overdue: a functioning education system, decent material conditions for education, appropriate school and university timetables and territorial and social equality in access to quality education, in particular," the experts said in a statement.
The protests began among high school students in mid-September before spreading to universities, with demonstrators demanding better educational conditions, adequate resources and equal access to quality education.
Despite government efforts to engage with students in October, the experts said authorities prioritized security measures over addressing the protesters' underlying grievances.
"The serious and, in some cases, irreversible injuries sustained by underage demonstrators during law enforcement operations are unacceptable and unjustifiable," they said.
The experts also expressed concern over the arrests and detention of several thousand people, predominantly minors, describing the scale of the detentions as disproportionate and potentially discouraging peaceful protests.
They also condemned acts of violence that injured police officers and damaged buildings and businesses, calling for investigations and accountability.
"We regret that police officers have been injured, and that numerous buildings have been damaged and shops vandalised," they said.
"We condemn these acts of violence. Measures are needed to investigate them and bring perpetrators to justice."
The experts urged French authorities to review policing practices "in order to enable demonstrators to express their concerns and to facilitate a peaceful resolution of social conflicts."
They said they remained in contact with French authorities over the situation.
Beyza Binnur Dönmez