Mélenchon urges parents to wear white armbands at student protests

French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon called on parents to wear white armbands or helmets at student protests to protect demonstrators, urging non-violent methods. Speaking at Paris Pride on Saturday, Mélenchon said parental presence would help ensure peaceful protests, citing past examples like after Malik Oussekine's death. He condemned police violence as an unacceptable response and stressed a duty to protect youth. The protest movement, ongoing since September 17, has disrupted 735 schools, with over 5,000 arrests since Monday. Ecologist MP Pouria Amirshahi also urged adults to join students with white helmets on Tuesday.