French human rights organizations have raised concerns about police conduct during ongoing high school blockades, with the Ligue des droits de l'Homme describing what it calls a "global drift" in law enforcement response, according to Le Monde.fr. Amnesty International has separately called for "de-escalation" as tensions persist between students and police.
The statements came Monday as blockades continued at lycées across the country. Le Monde.fr reported on the reactions from both organizations in its live coverage of the movement.
The demonstrations have drawn political responses beyond the student body. In Romans-sur-Isère, local communists have expressed support for the movement, Le Dauphiné Libéré reported. In Morlaix, Ouest-France described a student march that moved through the city, with an attempted joint action with private schools that did not come together and fires set in rubbish bins.
Writing in Libération, Sophie Binet argued that no government since May 1968 has responded to a lycéen mobilization in this manner. The comparison appeared in an opinion piece published by the outlet.
The context of the current mobilization includes changes to school schedules. According to franceinfo, school days have been lengthened since the Blanquer reform, a factor the outlet examined in relation to why students are protesting now. The reform's effect on daily timetables has been cited as background to the movement.
The coming days will show whether rights groups' calls for restraint are heeded by authorities, and whether the blockades spread or subside.
