French actor Omar Sy has added his voice to a growing chorus of public figures criticising the government's handling of nationwide student protests. In a radio interview on France Inter, the star of Lupin and The Intouchables described the authorities' response as “appalling” and urged them to listen to the demonstrators' demands.
The protests, which began in late September, have swelled into one of the largest youth mobilisations in recent French history. Students and teachers are demanding urgent action to address chronic staff shortages, crumbling school buildings, and a lack of basic equipment. Many also voice deeper anxieties about shrinking job prospects and the rising cost of living.
A movement that keeps growing
On Tuesday, more than 480,000 people marched across France, according to the inter-union high-school and university group. Placards carried by demonstrators read: “Nos lycées tombent en ruines, comme nos espoirs” (“Our schools, like our hopes, are falling into ruin”) and “Diplômés aujourd’hui, précaires demain” (“Graduates today, insecurity tomorrow”).
The movement has not been without incident. One teenager lost a hand, and more than 6,800 young people have been taken into temporary police custody since the protests began. The government reports that 147 National Education staff members have been injured, and nearly 40 investigations have been opened into alleged police violence against protesters.
Public figures have rallied behind the students. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg, NBA star Victor Wembanyama, singer Louane, and actor Vincent Lindon have all expressed support. Lindon, who stars in the recent adaptation of Les Misérables, told Le Parisien: “These are young people who want chairs to sit on […] decent, functional sanitary facilities, and the fair distribution of resources – and therefore opportunities.”
Lindon added: “I have children who went through middle school, high school, and so on, and it is true that this is one of the first times the younger generation is legitimately asserting demands and rights in the face of a state that currently lacks the funds to buy social peace.”
Omar Sy's call to listen
Speaking on France Inter, Sy, who also appeared in Jurassic World: Dominion, said: “These are our kids; it is the future of our country that is speaking out to a nation that is completely adrift.” He condemned the violence surrounding the protests, adding: “When I see that there’s no response to this, and that the immediate instinct is to stop them from speaking out, or to beat them up, or even to pit them against one another in childish brawls, I find it appalling.”
Sy questioned the role of adults in the crisis: “I ask myself: where are the adults in charge? What is our role, as adults, as parents? What are we actually doing to our children? Instead of jumping straight to reprimanding, punishing, or correcting them, or forcing them to face off against one another, we aren’t listening to them at all.” He added: “In fact, it’s even worse. We tell them to be quiet, and then we expect them to reach an agreement on their own. We don’t even know what they have to say.”
The protests are set to culminate in a major nationwide mobilisation this Saturday, with more than half a million people expected to take to the streets. The government has yet to offer a substantive response to the students' demands, and the movement shows no signs of abating.
For more on the ongoing crisis, see our coverage of the Paris clashes and the budget debate amid protests. The situation also echoes broader concerns about France's education system, as highlighted in warnings from the cultural sector about budget cuts.
