Paris’te lise öğrencilerinin protestosuna sendikalar da katılıyor

While many protests have been peaceful, some students have lit dustbin fires, torched bus shelters or clashed with riot police, who have responded with batons, tear gas and riot-control rounds. A 15-year-old protester lost a hand on Monday when he he picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers.

The French Human Rights League (LDH) on Monday accused security forces of using disproportionate methods against protesters – many of whom are legally minors. Internal investigations have been opened into at least six instances of alleged police brutality, according to a source close to the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The government says 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured since the start of the movement.

Protests first erupted in the Paris region in mid-September as teachers and students mobilized against a lack of staff at a lycée, or high school, in Creteil, in the southeastern outskirts of the French capital. From there, class strikes, blockades and demonstrations spread to other Paris suburbs and then nationwide, with protests even in high schools of smaller towns.

From the outset, pupils focused on perceived inequalities in the school system, saying that teaching, facilities and opportunities for advancement aren’t as good for students in disadvantaged neighborhoods — despite the promise of France's national motto: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”

Pupils elsewhere complained that during summer heat waves, they roast in classrooms without air-conditioning, and they freeze in winter. French media broadcast videos of scampering rats, collapsed ceilings, leaks, broken furniture and other woes filmed in dilapidated schools. Pupils also complain of long hours. In high schools, classes often start at 8am and can last to the early evening.

French high schoolers’ compulsory school hours are among the highest in Europe, according to European Union figures.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected on the streets of Paris on Tuesday as France's powerful trade unions join high school students rallying for better conditions in a wave of protests marked by clashes with police. Teaching has been disrupted at 589 of the country's 3,700 lycees and 32 universities, according to the education ministry and a student union.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office has called for "peaceful" gatherings, calling for a return to "a structured, legal and democratic form of opposition". The head of the CGT labour union Sophie Binet has said its members would be there to "protect high-school students". Authorities are expecting some 20,000 to 40,000 demonstrators in Paris.

Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering the student protests in France. You can catch up on yesterday's developments here.

Kaynak: France 24 · Özgün metin İngilizcedir.