Why France's student unrest isn't over yet.

Students have once again been marching across towns and cities in France protesting against school conditions such as teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings. It's the movement's fifth round of demonstrations, with some students committed to continuing protests throughout the upcoming half-term holidays. France's justice ministry says almost 7,000 people, most of them minors, have been taken into custody at demonstrations in recent weeks. 24 investigations into allegations of police brutality are also ongoing. They're just pretending to provide solutions, but we are still waiting. They want to slow us down, but that won't work. We will keep protesting until they give us real answers. We are seeing these problems around the world and need to protest against them, like here in France. It's horrible to see the systematic violence by the police. And I think it's important that people from all across the world protest. We need to keep up the fight. The blockades are becoming more and more tricky. Everyone is tired. The government is not giving us any answers. The education minister has promised to deploy 3,000 teachers, but we don't know if they will be sufficiently trained. And correspondent Lisa Lewis joins us now from Paris. According to France's education ministry, Lisa, far fewer schools are closed today than a week ago. From what you're seeing, is the movement losing momentum? Well, the energy is certainly going down a little bit. As you said, fewer schools, fewer high schools are blocked. There are a number of universities that are blocked, but the protesters I've been talking to here today in Paris were telling me that they were really determined to continue this movement. There was this demonstration here today in Paris. Actually, there were two demonstrations in Paris. There were also protests across the country. And there's another demo planned for this Saturday. And the students are hoping that other sectors will join them so that the movement can continue. Mind you, they are from Saturday on two weeks ahead of us of holidays for the schools. And the government is certainly banking on the movement losing even more strength. The students told me that they would continue to protest and take the barricades even after the holidays. And last week, Lisa, the government suspended the use of stun grenades after a teenager lost a hand. Are you seeing any change in police tactics today? Well, the change is really that the police has now no longer the right to use these stun grenades. And it seems that, at least here at the protest in Paris, things were rather quiet. I did not stay until the end of the protest, but what I've seen from protests across the country, there were certain clashes, that's for sure, but it doesn't seem to be as violent as over the past few weeks. Mind you, again, there seem to be fewer protesters today across France than at earlier demonstrations over the past few weeks. The students, they say that they want a 10 billion euro funding boost, but the government has little money to spare due to France's massive public debt. What do you think can be realistically offered to resolve this? Well, you're right. The government has very, very little leeway. They need to save tens of billions of euros. And as we speak, the country, The government is trying to find a compromise to get a budget for next year on track. They have already said that they would increase the education budget, but only by about a billion euros. And as you just mentioned, the students want more money. It's very difficult to see where the government would take that money from. But maybe they come up with another measure. So what's for sure, though, it's that it's very unlikely that they will find these 10 billion euros. And the left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon is backing the students, while the far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is calling for tougher action against rioters. How are these protests shaping politics in France? Because, you know, it's heading into what is expected to be a highly contentious presidential election next year. Well, I think these protests show actually to what extent there is a level of tension in France. A lot of people are rather worried when it comes to the future. Also, when it comes to next year's presidential elections, as you just mentioned, I was talking to students, to pupils today and over the past few weeks, and they were telling me they were rather afraid of the upcoming elections. That's also, this level of tension is also down to the fact that some of the young people don't really see a future for themselves. You know, they worry about global warming. They worry about war. We've got a war in Ukraine. Maybe there's more war to come, they told me, in the future. And they were just worried about, you know, what they would become over the coming years and decades. And I think that also kind of feeds into this movement. And that's why it's really exploding now. they're asking for very concrete things, but what's underlying is a general tension and worry about their future. And Lisa, the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, we understand she also has now joined the protest. Tell us more about that development. Well, she was here and that just shows that this protest that has been going on for a few weeks now is also seen abroad, that many are paying attention to the youth. She was saying, you know, the youth, they need to take to barricades and ask for better conditions ask for a better future and i think that is appealing to many people many young people around the world who are facing maybe not the specific problems like the students here at high schools in France but the general problems for sure you know the global warming and uh wars around the world the the threat the worry about AI will they have a job in the future i think many youth many young people around the world can identify with that That's why this movement here in France is really appealing also to people abroad. Lisa Louie joining us from Paris. Thank you, Lisa.