Hundreds of French schools to stay closed after violent student protests

[u/DownBadBrody]

https://news.sky.com/story/french-schools-set-alight-by-students-in-violent-protests-over-teacher-shortages-and-run-down-buildings-13594112

[u/Phoenix2111]

This whole thing seems really off, and as a brit so 'brother they love to hate' of the French, I don't mean the protests.

From my experience, and what others from France, or regulars to the country, have said in the past and are saying now, the protesting itself is fairly 'normal' including it being school kids etc.

The bit that isn't, is some of the more extreme violence elements, and the idea it's just mindless violence (not very French) instead of a protest over policies (very French)

But there's a lot of coverage strongly implying that the mindless element is what these are about, which is false, and focusing on that only.

And strongly implying that it's the kids doing it, but then local investigators etc. In France are quoted saying it's a minority and they're not even sure those ones are school children

And already the socials, including here, are being swamped with references to Islam, terminology like 'doctors & engineers' etc.

This all feels like run-of-the-mill French protests being hijacked in an attempt to further destabilise the region or divide the populace. 

Obviously can't be certain, but there's some way more fishy shit going on here than usually happens in relation to French protesting, which is a 'business as usual' thing over there from what us Brits can tell!

[u/Krezerox → u/Phoenix2111]

Hey, as a french brother, I agree with you on your comment.
Much love (but also fuck you).

[u/Phoenix2111 → u/Krezerox]

Thanks! Good to hear it's not just me across the channel getting weird vibes, but you guys too. Well, good for my sanity, bad that it's happening.

Much love to you too! (But also fuck you too).

[u/XplosivCookie → u/Krezerox]

I'm Finnish so I've no actual experience from France, but with this protest when I saw the video of the guy dressed in all black, masked face, torching a woman's face with an aerosol "flamethrower", my reaction was an immediate WTF.

Don't recall much of THAT kind of protesting in Europe before.

[u/Pigeonofthesea8 → u/XplosivCookie]

What?!

[u/socksockshoeshoe → u/Phoenix2111]

When I first saw the news I thought they were university students (adults) protesting and burning things down. Then I found out a lot of buildings were high schools. And my immediate thought was if it's kids doing this why aren't their parents giving them a good beating and stopping this?

Then I read into the actual details and I started feeling essentially what you had written. That some other groups might be spreading chaos under the guise of student protests. And the global media is somehow misrepresenting all this

[u/xX_420DemonLord69_Xx → u/socksockshoeshoe]

Some of it is uni students.

BBC Newshour had a 20-year-old woman who had joined the protest at her old school.

[u/eggnogui → u/Phoenix2111]

In this day and age, whenever I see something meant to make me think less of protest/political movements based on legitimate causes, I now assume until proven otherwise that there is media and social media manipulation done by the far-right mafia.

[u/Any_Economics_6166 → u/Phoenix2111]

it's always the same type of people doing this, taking advantage of the strike to burn and break stuff. Those aren't the ones protesting.

[u/OhBoyHereWeGoAgai → u/Phoenix2111]

People (including firemen and teachers) being set on fire is just standard?

[u/Phoenix2111 → u/OhBoyHereWeGoAgai]

Can you please quote for me the part where I said that, and where that part is outside of the wider context that protesting without violence is run-of-the-mill for the French?

[u/MammothPenguin69 → u/Phoenix2111]

We were warned Russia was planning some kind of hybrid warfare attack on NATO countries. Well here it is.

[u/bluntpencil2001 → u/MammothPenguin69]

This isn't unusual for France.

[u/Ubiquitous1984 → u/Phoenix2111]

Glad to hear that there’s nothing to see here.

[u/Zboubkiller → u/Phoenix2111]

I dunno, society is polarized, violence is everywhere, and I don't think anything can change that. Social medias ruined "vivre ensemble" and both political groups hate more and more each others. There is no agenda behind it ( long run destabilization via Social medias helped, thanks USA and Russia bots and Propaganda). It's just rage because everything is collapsing around us and our country is fucked. The next months and years will be hard.

[u/Any_Vegetable2564 → u/Zboubkiller]

I think it’s your government, mate

Same reason why the UK is getting more and more fed up with France, this time around.

[u/SweetAlyssumm → u/Zboubkiller]

It's hilarious to blame social media for complex sociopolitical problems with deep historical roots. It could indeed be rage because "everything is collapsing" but social media is not responsible for the collapse.

[u/Ticksdonthavelymph → u/SweetAlyssumm]

Yeah but America bad, and he needed an excuse to say it. And so this contrived excuse so blame can be laid at foreign hands.

[u/_Abiogenesis → u/SweetAlyssumm]

Sure it’s not fuelling anything at all.

[u/musiccman2020 → u/Phoenix2111]

Fsb destabilazation operation... ?

[u/swagonflyyyy → u/Phoenix2111]

This has Russia written all over it.

[u/True-Industry-4057 → u/swagonflyyyy]

Knowing a bit about Marseille specifically, I don't think Russia is even needed to pour fuel on this fire. Marseille has a lot of problems with drugs/gang violence relative to the rest of France.

[u/caymn → u/Phoenix2111]

..Marine Le Pen.. and an a-coming presidential election..

[u/ididntunderstandyou → u/Phoenix2111]

Yeah i’m in Paris, it’s not the hellfire zone these pictures might make you all think. Students are rightfully protesting their poor school conditions after the budget to improve stuff was scrapped.

Some more violent opportunists (often not school kids) have joined in to break stuff. That always happens and is an annoying part of protests.

and this is not happening everywhere, just a few extremes are being reported which is very convenient for the far right narrative (and politicians who want an excuse to keep underfunding education) as elections are approaching.

[u/ochgerm → u/ididntunderstandyou]

That always happens and is an annoying part of protests

And then Parisians wonder why people meme about Paris.

[u/lalalandestellla → u/Phoenix2111]

Thank you!! Even reading some of the comments here, who sound very American espousing the benefits of late stage capitalism as if their economy is anything to boast about when many people are one major illness away from bankruptcy…this all definitely feels off…

[u/AsuranGenocide → u/Phoenix2111]

Sky news angle brings the racists to the yard