Nîmes Education Unions and Parents Back Student Protests
On October 8, education unions and parent representatives held a press conference in Nîmes to back student-led blockades and protests, citing an increase in arrests and detentions across the Gard department and alleging excessive police force, midilibre.fr reported.
The inter-union coalition—comprising FSU, FNEC FP FO, CGT Educ’action, and SUD Éducation—joined forces with the FCPE parent association at the SNES-FSU Gard headquarters. Union representatives stated they have supported the youth movement by providing security during school blockades and a recent downtown march.
Union Allegations of Police Tactics and Racial Profiling
During the press briefing, 16-year-old terminale student Elie from Philippe-Lamour high school described a heavy-handed police response in Nîmes. We ask for rights, and in return, we get gassed!
he stated. Isabelle Chenou of FNEC FP FO recounted having to form a protective human chain between students and police officers outside Camus high school on Tuesday.
Union delegates raised several specific grievances regarding law enforcement behavior. Olivia Garcia of SUD Éducation 30 stated that the union filed complaints with the Rights Defender and the prefect regarding targeted identity checks, which she said focused specifically on racialized young men outside Hemingway high school. Labor representatives also criticized the use of sting-ball grenades outside Mistral high school—a tactic they noted was linked to the severe hand injury of a 15-year-old student in Lens, though a Nîmes police union source defended the practice.
Jérôme Amicel of SNES-FSU highlighted complaints brought to the prefect during a Tuesday meeting, including frequent use of informal tu addressing by police and officers standing within 15 centimeters of protesters’ faces. Pascale Thoirey, an FSU teacher, characterized the official approach as maintaining disorder rather than order, citing an instance where an officer allegedly questioned a detained student by asking what he was doing there instead of dealing drugs.
Education Unions Announce Strike for October 13
Amid these rising tensions, the education unions announced a formal strike notice for October 13. Sabrina Girault, representing parent organization FCPE 30, emphasized that the student demonstrators remain minors who are owed adult respect. Responding to public criticism over burning trash cans, Elie defended the escalation of tactics, arguing that peaceful words alone have historically been ignored. When it comes to a young person losing their teeth, everyone closes their eyes!
he said.