The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has shown himself convinced that the educational protests shaking France since the end of last month do not respond to the demands of the students, but to what he described as an “Islamic invasion” and the relaxation of migratory policies.
The mobilizations also occur at a time of growing discontent among young French people over the situation of public education. For weeks, students have been denouncing the lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, the deterioration of numerous centers and conditions that, in their opinion, make learning increasingly difficult. Added to these demands is the rejection of the cuts and budgetary adjustments proposed by the Government, which especially affect public services and aid for young people.
The demonstrations, which continue this Monday, have so far left at least 215 students and some 85 teachers injured, in addition to some 715 police officers, according to the provisional balance provided by the Ministry of the Interior. In parallel, some 6,059 people have been arrested and more than 5,000, mostly minors, have been detained. The demands focus, according to these complaints, on structural problems in public education, in a context in which protests continue and the balance of injured and detained continues to grow.
Trump turns classrooms into a cultural battle
In a message disseminated on his social networks, the president maintained that “what is happening in France is nothing more than uncontrolled mass migration,” and ruled out that the origin of the mobilizations is related to teaching conditions. “This is not about schools. It’s about Islam trying to take over a country that, in its day, was great,” the US president concluded.
The protests have also acquired an international dimension after Donald Trump denied that the mobilizations originated in the situation of French education. His statements contrast with the demands expressed by the students themselves, focused on the lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, the deterioration of centers, and the lack of resources. These statements clash with the reason given by the students themselves and the organizations participating in the mobilizations. The protests began over issues related to public education: lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, long school days, and deterioration of centers. The available information on the mobilizations does not present immigration or religion as the origin of the student demands.
