Paris student protests' fifth act draws 161,500 nationwide, clashes near Invalides at march's end

What happened

On Oct 13, high school students, university students and teachers held their fifth national day of action. France's Interior Ministry counted 161,500 demonstrators nationwide, including 41,500 in Paris; the student inter-union group claimed 480,000, far above the ministry's 71,500 count on Oct 8. In Paris, two marches set off: the main procession departing Place d'Italie at 2 p.m. toward Les Invalides, and a second from the Hôtel de Ville toward Matignon, the prime minister's residence.

Clashes broke out at the end of the Paris march near Place Vauban and Boulevard des Invalides, with police deploying tear gas, batons and water cannons; a car was burned near Port-Royal. Lyon also saw violent incidents, with nine arrests and several injuries. Student organizations called on members to join a planned Yellow Vest mobilization against the high cost of living on Saturday, Oct 17.

The demands

Student organizations have ten common demands: abolishing Parcoursup, the university admissions platform they call opaque; an emergency plan for school buildings; massive recruitment of staff; replacing missing teachers; lighter class schedules; raising student grants, frozen for four years; and a 10-billion-euro emergency plan. The movement began in mid-September with a teachers' walkout at Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil and has spread to universities and teachers' unions.