UN Experts Condemn Police Violence Against French Student Protesters

(MENAFN) United Nations experts on Wednesday denounced the use of violence against student demonstrators in France, raising concerns over mass arrests and serious injuries among young protesters. They described the detention of thousands of demonstrators and the harm suffered by minors 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 demonstrations initially emerged among secondary school students in mid-September before expanding to universities. Participants have called for improved learning environments, sufficient educational funding and resources, and fair access to high-quality education regardless of social background or location.

Although the government sought to open discussions with students in October, the experts argued that officials placed greater emphasis on security and law enforcement than on resolving the concerns driving the protests.

"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 raised alarm over the detention of several thousand people, most of whom were minors. They warned that the scale of the arrests appeared disproportionate and could discourage people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly and protest.

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