Presidential: several high schools blocked in Paris before the second round

Europe 1 with AFP 4:08 p.m., April 21, 2022

High school students mobilized again Thursday in Paris, blocking establishments to make their voices heard in the between-rounds of the presidential election, after a first mobilization on Tuesday and in the wake of the student movement launched last week.

"We let the prepas in, but not the high school students. We are there all day to make ourselves heard before the second round and if we have to mobilize again after the holidays, we will be there", explained to AFP Elias, 15, in second class, in front of the Lavoisier college-high school located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.

A hundred high schools blocked in the morning

A hundred high school students blocked the entrance to this establishment in the middle of the morning in a good-natured atmosphere, noted an AFP journalist.

On the gates of the front door were hung various signs on which one could read: "no hatred, nor of Le Pen", "the youth fucks the National Front" or "3 years (Giec) Emergency".

"Issues relating to the climate have been completely stifled by the Covid when there is an urgent need to act. We will not let go," said Nabil, 17, in Terminale.

"Equality between men and women, education, nothing is going well, so we revolt"

A little further east of the capital, between 150 and 200 high school students were also mobilized in front of the entrance to the Lycée Voltaire at midday.

They blocked access with trash cans and a pile of barriers, bicycles, in front of a poster on which was written "neither Macron nor Le Pen", noted another AFP journalist.

"We are here because we are not listened to. We are angry," said Paloma, 15, in Second in this high school in the 11th arrondissement.

"Equality between men and women, education, nothing is going well, so we are revolting," she added.

"It becomes painful to be forgotten every time", also believes Charlotte, 15 years old.

"We demonstrate to show that we are there and that we are against what is happening".

Universities not affected yet

Contacted by AFP, the rectorate of Paris reported at the beginning of the afternoon blockages still in progress at the Voltaire and Lavoisier high schools, no student being able to enter.

Filter dams were also set up at the Hélène Boucher and Jules Ferry high schools and at the Paul Robert des Lilas high school in Seine-Saint-Denis.

The blockage at the Colbert high school was however over, according to this source.

At the start of the morning, around thirty students had gathered in front of France Universities in Paris to try to challenge the presidents of universities and ask them to reopen the closed faculties "to prevent blockages".