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French Church Leaders Urge Peace Amid Protests
· Confirmed
In Short: French Church leaders called for calm as protests over living costs and education continued, amid escalating violence.
French Church leaders and several dioceses condemned the destruction and called for peace as protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services continued in France, according to aleteia.org, a free online daily news publication based in France.
The protests, which began over education standards, have seen thousands of security forces deployed around the French capital, with clashes between protesters and police reported in multiple cities.
The BBC (United Kingdom) and Modernghana (Ghana) reported that up to 500 schools across France were partially or totally closed on Monday after clashes between riot police and student protesters in recent days.
According to the BBC, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 735 of France's 3,700 schools had been affected by violent protests, while Modernghana reported that more than 5,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, with 87% of them being minors.
The protests have also drawn international attention, with Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) reporting that Iran summoned the French ambassador to Tehran over Paris’s treatment of protesters demanding better conditions in schools.
The protests have escalated into widespread violence, with looting, arson, and clashes with police reported in several French cities, prompting the French government to deploy tens of thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that rioters would face accountability, with the French government deploying tear gas and other measures to disperse demonstrators.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu vowed that the government would not be intimidated by the violence, blaming the unrest on far-left groups and criminals ahead of next year’s presidential election.
French authorities have also imposed overnight curfews in four northern communes following violence and looting during the protests.
The protests have also affected cultural institutions, with the French Ministry of Culture urging all institutions under its authority to take necessary measures to ensure visitor safety and the preservation of artworks.
Both publications agreed that the protests have escalated into widespread violence, with clashes between protesters and police, looting, and arson reported in multiple cities.
The French Church leaders' call for peace amid the escalating violence underscores the growing concern over the impact of the protests on public safety and education.
What this adds
The protests have drawn international attention, with Iran summoning the French ambassador over Paris’s treatment of protesters demanding better conditions in schools.
Background
French Church leaders called for calm as protests over living costs and education continued.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemned the attack on Taybeh, calling it a 'heinous attack' and warning that it forms part of a wider pattern of settler violence against Palestinian villages during the olive harvest.
What's confirmed
- French Church leaders and several dioceses condemned the destruction and called for peace as protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services continued in France, according to aleteia.org, a free online daily news publication based in France.
- The protests, which began over education standards, have seen thousands of security forces deployed around the French capital, with clashes between protesters and police reported in multiple cities.
- The BBC (United Kingdom) and Modernghana (Ghana) reported that up to 500 schools across France were partially or totally closed on Monday after clashes between riot police and student protesters in recent days.
- According to the BBC, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 735 of France's 3,700 schools had been affected by violent protests, while Modernghana reported that more than 5,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, with 87% of them being minors.
- The protests have also drawn international attention, with Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) reporting that Iran summoned the French ambassador to Tehran over Paris’s treatment of protesters demanding better conditions in schools.
- The protests have escalated into widespread violence, with looting, arson, and clashes with police reported in several French cities, prompting the French government to deploy tens of thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide.
- French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that rioters would face accountability, with the French government deploying tear gas and other measures to disperse demonstrators.
- French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu vowed that the government would not be intimidated by the violence, blaming the unrest on far-left groups and criminals ahead of next year’s presidential election.
- French authorities have also imposed overnight curfews in four northern communes following violence and looting during the protests.
- The protests have also affected cultural institutions, with the French Ministry of Culture urging all institutions under its authority to take necessary measures to ensure visitor safety and the preservation of artworks.
- Both publications agreed that the protests have escalated into widespread violence, with clashes between protesters and police, looting, and arson reported in multiple cities.
- The French Church leaders' call for peace amid the escalating violence underscores the growing concern over the impact of the protests on public safety and education.
What's still developing
- Photographers accredited by the French presidential palace noticed that a woman in their midst was using a fake identity, according to Ludovic Marin, an Agence France Presse photographer who heads the media liaison committee with the French presidential palace.
- With thousands of security forces deployed around the French capital, questions swirled around how the woman and two other activists from feminist group Femen got so close to scores of world leaders gathered on the Champs-Elysees to mark 100 years since the end of World War I.
- The photographers alerted French presidential officials as well as police, and the woman was led away, Marin said.
- French President Emmanuel Macron’s office would not comment on how the woman was accredited using a false identity.
- Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™ Last week, hundreds of thousands of people participated in protests across the country, and while most were peaceful, some deteriorated into riots, with arson and looting reported.
- Iran itself suffered major anti-government protests in January, during which the authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths, blaming “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
- The 15-year-old had picked up a police dispersal grenade that detonated in the town of Lens, losing his hand and part of his lower arm, officials said Monday, Reuters reported, as the wave of school protests entered its third week, François-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said roughly 200 to 250 protesters had been hurling objects at police.
- "The government is trembling and it's right to tremble because when the French people are angry, they never let up," Ryad Rani, the head of the LSU high school student representative body, told journalists in Paris.
- Police and protesters clashed violently in Paris and other French cities Saturday on the sidelines of nationwide marches against soaring inflation, with one demonstrator's hand blown off, multiple blazes set and looters breaking into dozens of stores to strip them bare.
- The game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints remains scheduled as planned despite civil unrest in the French capital, the NFL said Sunday.
- Marine Le Pen launched her fourth bid to become president of France on Sunday with a plea to "French patriots" to back her and her far-right National Rally (RN) in spring elections.
- To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video French unions and protest groups have called for fresh demonstrations on October 31 and a nationwide strike on November 5 to maintain pressure on the government.
Sources
- Sanlink
- aleteia.orglink
- BBClink
- Arabnewslink
- Wwbllink
- Ariselink
- Thevibeslink
- Modernghanalink
- AP Newslink
- Eutodaylink
- Warpbeatlink
- DWlink
- Kashmirlifelink
- The Mercury Newslink
- WarpBeat — background on French Church Leaders Urge Peace Amid Protests link
- WarpBeat — background on Church Leaders Condemn Settler Attacks on Palestinian Village link
- The Daily Guardian — video link