French High School Blockades Persist as Education Minister Opens Dialogue

The mobilization of French high school students continued on Friday, October 2, with over 700 schools affected, despite a slight decrease in actions, marking one of the largest movements in three decades. Actions were also reported in about 100 middle schools. In a shift from the government's primarily security-focused response, Education Minister Edouard Geffray received unions, student representatives, and parent federations to begin dialogue. He promised to initiate "work on school democracy" after ten days of protest. The movement has become entrenched, with the minister attempting a different approach than the security line taken by the Prime Minister and other officials. The government has characterized the protests as "urban violence" since Monday.