High school blockades: Lecornu accuses LFI of exploiting young people, Mélenchon counterattacks
The blockades of high schools in the Île-de-France region, which have been ongoing for a week, have become the battleground for a political confrontation between the government and La France Insoumise. The government accuses elected officials from the movement of encouraging the blockades and exploiting young people; La France Insoumise, on the other hand, defends a mobilization it considers conscious and legitimate.
The government calls for calm and firmness.
On Monday, September 28, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu criticized LFI elected officials on X for calling for the expansion of the movement. He considered this approach to be partisan manipulation, while affirming that the difficulties expressed by high school students must be heard and addressed.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray had already denounced calls by members of the La France Insoumise party to blockade schools on Friday. Interviewed by RMC on Monday, he estimated the number of affected high schools at « around ten. » He distinguished between demands he considers sometimes legitimate—notably the non-replacement of certain teachers—and actions carried out, according to him, by masked and sometimes violent individuals.
In a telegram co-signed with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and seen by AFP, the two government officials requested that law enforcement intervene in the event of a total blockade. Such an intervention could take place as early as Tuesday, September 29, while the USL, described as the leading high school student organization, has called for a « convergence of struggles » during a national mobilization of public sector workers.
LFI disputes the accusation of manipulation
Several prominent figures from La France Insoumise support the mobilized high school students, including MP Louis Boyard. In Saint-Denis, LFI mayor Bally Bagayoko was greeted by young people who cheered him and sang the Marseillaise, according to the CLPRESS news agency.
On BFMTV, the elected official rejected the idea that the protests were being orchestrated. He described the high school students as « perfectly aware » young people and called on Sébastien Lecornu to go there and speak with them. Édouard Geffray reiterated his criticism on the same channel, denouncing what he called the « violent manipulation of young people by outside groups. »
Exchanges are becoming more heated between Lecornu and Mélenchon.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon also acknowledged his movement’s support for the blockades. On X, he described the mobilized high school students as « harmless » and accused the government of ordering the repression, alluding to a « clear racist undertone. »
Sébastien Lecornu responded on the same social media platform. The Prime Minister mentioned a high school student injured by hydrochloric acid, fires, and mortar fire, then asked the leader of La France Insoumise whether he condemned this violence. He also described the accusation of racism as an insult and a divisive factor.
The president of the Île-de-France region, a member of the Les Républicains party, announced that she had filed a lawsuit following remarks by Louis Boyard. She accused La France Insoumise (LFI) of advocating the destruction of high schools. The MP defended his support for students, highlighting the shortage of teachers, and criticized the regional president for referring to young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods as « thugs and hoodlums. »
Demands vary depending on the institution
Beyond the accusations exchanged, the reasons for mobilization are not the same everywhere. Testimonies reported by AFP in 2025 notably mentioned premises deemed dirty, a lack of staff, overcrowded classes and the pres related to Parcoursup.
Source: Government: continuous news and offbeat information, in France and around the world (www.huffingtonpost.fr)
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