As Lens hosted Lyon on Friday night to open Ligue 1’s sixth round, the home supporters used the occasion to take a stand against what they described as disproportionate and systematic police violence.
The Ligue 1 news
The message from the Lens end came as a student-led protest movement spread across France, moving from individual school blockades to a national mobilisation.
High-school pupils have raised concerns over deteriorating buildings, overloaded timetables, teachers who are not replaced when absent and the pressure associated with the Parcoursup university admissions system. The demonstrations, which began to gather momentum in mid-September, have also drawn in university students.
Opposition to police violence has become nearly as prominent in the marches as demands for greater resources in education. Blockades have multiplied across the country since late September, with many pupils regarding the movement as a success and intending to continue it.
The government has condemned what it called unacceptable violence during the unrest.
A court hearing set for February 23
In Paris, a 15-year-old suspected of taking part in the assault of a police officer during a school protest on October 1 is due to appear before a youth court on February 23.
The wider mobilisation has unfolded six months before the presidential election, as students seek to put their concerns at the centre of the political agenda.
