France’s protests, like Hong Kong’s in 2019, risk being defined by violence

Since mid-September, students in metropolitan France have been protesting against poor conditions in public high schools and the rising costs of daily life. The protests, known as the mouvement lycéen, started on a single campus in a Parisian suburb and quickly spread to include high schoolers and university students nationwide, along with support from public sector workers, climate activists, labor unions, and everyday people. On October 17 and again on October 24, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets despite curfews and aggressive policing by the state, which resulted in looting, vandalism, tear gas use, and sweeping arrests. Despite these measures, students won their first government concessions on Monday: $4.45 billion in government loans for school renovations, more university spaces, additional teachers, and other administrative changes. However, protesters remain unsatisfied, calling these “crumbs.” France’s protests risk following a cycle of violence similar to that seen in Hong Kong in 2019, where confrontations between police and demonstrators escalate tensions and make resolving underlying issues more difficult.