Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined a protest outside a high school in the Paris suburbs on Tuesday, as French students took to the streets once again to oppose poor conditions in schools.
The nationwide movement, now in its fourth week, aims to draw attention to teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and deteriorating school buildings.
The protests have included marches and blockades at hundreds of schools, with some incidents escalating into clashes with police, Reuters reported.
On Tuesday morning, students gathered outside the entrances of several schools in Paris and other cities.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray told France Inter radio that around 200 schools had been closed. He added that some may have been shut for security reasons because they were located along planned march routes.
Greta Thunberg, who rose to prominence as a teenager through her protests against climate change before expanding her activism to other issues, said French students deserved greater support.
“They should know that people around the world are following these developments. Young people demanding their fundamental rights inspire us,” Thunberg said outside Paul Eluard High School in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. The school was one of the places where the protest movement initially gained momentum.
“Whether it is insufficient funding for schools, the climate crisis, or social injustice, the time has come for young people to rise up and take their future back into their own hands,” the activist added.
Thunberg also criticized the police response, which has sparked considerable debate. She described it as “extremely violent,” arguing that authorities were attempting to preserve the status quo while ignoring the demands of young people.
