France Summons Iran's Ambassador as 400 Schools Shut Down in Student Protest Chaos
France accused Iran of meddling in its student protests, while over 400 schools closed as demonstrations swept the country.
French high school students are protesting across the country, demanding that the government repair crumbling schools, replace absent teachers, reduce class sizes, and close the gap between rich and poor schools [257159]. On Tuesday, protesters held their biggest day of action yet, called "Act 3," with more than 400 schools closed as a precaution as students blocked buildings and marched through central Paris [257159].
The protests have been growing for weeks into a mass movement that is spreading beyond campuses and drawing wider public attention [255472]. Far-left leaders have backed the student protesters, while government officials accuse them of fueling the unrest for political gain [256982]. Left-wing presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has openly hoped that youth anger could carry him into the Élysée Palace [255472].
The unrest has also become entangled in foreign affairs. France summoned Iran's ambassador on Monday, calling Tehran's comments on the French high school protests "absolutely unacceptable" [257063]. The move came after Iran accused France of human rights violations, and Paris said it would not accept foreign interference in its domestic affairs [257063]. The French government also accused Iran of spreading false information about the demonstrations and called in the ambassador to express serious concern [256239]. Iran has not yet responded to the accusations, and the meeting signals growing tension between the two countries [256239].
The debate around the protests has become angry and divided, with some fearing the unrest is a preview of how next year's election tensions will play out [257159]. French activists plan to rally across the country on Thursday, testing whether the nationwide student movement can sustain its momentum [256983].