'"From the River to the Sea" Isn’t So Fun When It’s the Seine to the Mediterranean, Huh?'
This isn’t some riot over public education. That’s the line that’s been used to describe the mayhem that’s engulfed France over the past few days, during which some 250,000 people have taken to the streets. French police have deployed tear gas, and while the media are going to try and frame this unrest as mostly fiery but peaceful — we know the deal (via The Guardian):
Police have fired teargas at protesters as more than 250,000 pupils, teachers and parents demonstrated across France on the biggest day yet of a campaign for better high school conditions that has been marred by often violent clashes with police.
The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said at least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff had been injured since the protests began more than a fortnight ago, calling the figures “the heaviest toll in decades paid by the school system”.
The country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called key ministers to the Élysée Palace for talks on Tuesday night, French media reported.
The interior ministry said 200,000 people had taken part in mainly peaceful marches in cities including Marseille, Nantes and Lyon on Tuesday, with 56,000 more joining the biggest demonstration in Paris. Organisers put the total at 450,000.
Most passed off without serious incident, but some – including in Paris – ended in sporadic vandalism and running skirmishes with riot police, with officers firing teargas and carrying out baton charges to disperse protesters.
Nearly 500 people were arrested on Tuesday, according to figures from the Interior Ministry reported by newspaper Liberation. The ministry also said 43 police officers were injured.
Are we sure this is about education? President Trump said this was about the spread of radical Islam due to lax immigration standards in Europe:
US president Donald Trump waded in with his trademark mastery of nuance and deep understanding of French society. Writing on Truth Social, he blamed the high school protests on “out of control mass migration” and “Islam wanting to take over a once great country.” Trump wrote: “What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country! President DJT”
I mean, based on this clip — this isn’t about education.
“From the river to the sea” isn’t so fun when it’s the Seine to the Mediterranean, huh?” read a tweet that perfectly captured the moment. Did you see the flag that’s being waved there?
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