All photos are author’s own
This time of year, not long after the back-to-school period, is a typical time for protests and demonstrations in France. Following tradition, the whole country has been in the grip of a growing wave of student protests over the state of the country’s education system. While it began with high-school students protesting poor conditions, staff shortages and underfunded, deteriorating schools, the cause has now captured the attention of most all French citizens, universities and unions, and international news sources. Tuesday the 6th of October was the biggest day of the mobilisation so far, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part nationally, (the Interior Ministry put the figure at 256,000, while unions claimed around 450,000).[1]
Lyon was one of the main centres of the mobilisation, with over 20,000 people taking part according to the Rhone prefecture.[2] The march began at Place Bellecour and made its way across the Rhone towards Place Guichard, bringing together high-school students, university students, teachers, parents, union supporters and beyond.
I ended up experiencing the protest rather unexpectedly. My French flatmate invited me along the evening before, excited at the thought of exposing me to some ‘real French culture’. I, rather naively, told him I didn’t think I’d be able to make it as I had plenty of classes and work to do. He reassured me I didn’t need to worry about any of that, the university would be far from functional in the morning.
He was completely right. The next morning, we were alerted that classes and administration would not be active and protesting students had blockaded or locked all of the entrances and exits to the campus. I couldn’t help my curiosity about this protest, so a couple of hours after the official march began crossing the city, I thought I would trace their steps and see what was left of the cortege.
Eventually I made it to Place Guichard, the end of the route, but far from the end of the protest. There was something remarkably convivial about being surrounded by so many people passionate about the future and education of young people in France. The support for this cause was fuelled by more than just the students, there were all generations calmly and jovially chanting, singing, playing instruments and clapping along. People recognised friends and acquaintances in the crowd, I’d never experienced such social and natural fun in political activity and felt like my roommate had now been right about two things, this was a very close look at ‘real French culture’.
Unfortunately, things went south rather quickly. As the day went on, it became apparent that there were some young people who were keen to antagonise the police that were there to oversee the protest, and eventually some confrontations and firework detonations caused the police to fire tear gas into the crowd.
Once back in a safe area away from the gas, I was struck by just how quickly the dynamic had changed. One moment we were walking with thousands of likeminded people, I was learning French chants and deciphering the creative signs; and suddenly we were rushing in the opposite direction, trying to find an exit that wasn’t cordoned off by yet more riot police.
As the day went on, it seemed as though protestors and police played a game of cat and mouse. Groups would move, disperse and reform, and where they went, the police followed.
The ultimate takeaway from the day was not simply the size and support of the protest, though 20,000 people in Lyon is difficult to ignore. It was the coexistence of two very different sides of the same demonstration. On the one hand, there was a real sense of conviviality and community, and on the other, a sense of discontent to the extent of defiance, and one that was perhaps removed from the original cause in the first place.
This is the part that appeared frustrating to many among the protestors. Regardless of the tactics utilised by protestors or police, the original grievances around education were what brought thousands of people, many of them children, on to the streets. Watching a protest that had begun with such a strong sense of community descend into a confrontation between police and smaller, breakaway groups felt like a detraction from the matter at hand. It is, after all, the violence that makes the most memorable headlines and has, perhaps, done more to endanger these children than brighten their futures.
Sources
[1] TV5MONDE, « Plusieurs dizaines de milliers de manifestants pour l'acte III de la colère lycéenne ».
[2] Radio SCOOP, « Manifestation, blocages : suivez la journée d'action à Lyon ».