PARIS — With no signs of retreat or cooling, social mobilizations in France resist in several cities across the country. On Friday, a fire hit the entrance and the façade of the historic building of an educational institution in Lyon, where students returned to the streets a day after the general strike promoted across the country.
Trash bins and electric scooters were piled up before the main door of the Lycée Édouard-Herriot and set on fire. The flames reached the entrance and spread along the building’s façade. The students who were in class had to be evacuated hastily. There were no reports of injuries.
The incident occurred a day after a national strike that brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets and caused disruptions in different sectors of the country. Even after Thursday’s mobilization (the 5th), protests continued on Friday, with school blockades, student demonstrations and new episodes of violence in different cities.
The Lycée Édouard-Herriot has a history dating back to the ninth century. The institution was created in 1882 as Lyon’s first girls’ high school. The current building was constructed between 1900 and 1902, designed by architect Bernard Delorme.
The student mobilization also affected other educational institutions in the Lyon metropolitan area. According to a tally by the Rhône city hall, 21 establishments were affected on Friday, including 16 lycées, two collèges and three higher education institutions.
In other regions, there were also fires and clashes. In Toulouse, a fire destroyed a 100-square-meter school lounge. In Lille, the entrance gate of a lycée was set on fire, and the institution had to be evacuated due to the risk of a gas leak. Two lycées in Caen also suffered damage, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
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New demonstrations on Saturday
The mobilization is set to continue this Saturday (7), with new demonstrations planned in various French cities. In Paris, a march organized by unions and student groups is authorized to depart at 2 p.m. from Place de la République toward Place de la Nation.
Another demonstration was called by groups linked to the Yellow Vests, also at 2 p.m., on Place de la Concorde in the capital. The police prefecture prohibited the gathering, but organizers said they intend to proceed with the call.
There are also demonstrations announced in cities such as Caen and Nantes.
On Monday (the 9th), Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will receive representatives of unions and employer organizations at a social conference in Matignon. The meeting is expected to discuss issues related to wages and purchasing power. The inter-union coalition said it will reconvene after the conference to define the next steps of the mobilization.
