Lyon School Blockade: Teens Arrested After Clashes with Police

Lyon, France – Three teenagers were arrested Thursday morning following a second day of blockades and clashes at the Lycée Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry in Lyon’s 4th arrondissement, according to local news reports. The arrests, made for violence and participation in an armed gathering, come after police were targeted with stones and bottles during the disruption.

Approximately fifty students participated in the blockade, which began around 8:00 AM, using barriers and trash cans to obstruct access to the school, according to a security source cited by Le Progrès. A “dozen individuals hooded and masked” briefly blocked the entrance, the rectorate reported.

Police responded with tear gas to disperse the group. The academy of Lyon confirmed that four officers sustained minor injuries during Wednesday’s initial blockade, including one officer with injuries requiring two days of medical leave and one day of total incapacity for work.

The protests are reportedly motivated by opposition to the rise of the far-right and, according to some participants, against local mayoral candidate Jean-Michel Aulas. Demonstrators chanted anti-fascist and anti-police slogans.

Rémi Zinck, the ecologist mayor of Lyon’s 4th arrondissement and a candidate for re-election, acknowledged the students’ anger regarding the growth of the far-right, stating, “I fully understand. The right to protest is fundamental but it must not lead to violence or excesses. I call on everyone to remain calm.”

Authorities state that students inside the lycée were safe throughout the incidents. The academy of Lyon condemned the actions, calling them “unacceptable” and stating that they would be subject to sanctions for students involved. “The school must be preserved,” a statement from the academy read. “It is a place that trains the citizens of today and tomorrow and must therefore be preserved and protected.”

A similar, brief blockade occurred at the lycée on Wednesday morning, also resulting in three arrests of students aged 16 to 17. Those students were issued summonses to appear before a justice court and complete a citizenship course.