Page 5 | To think the French students are out of control?

ITVXsponsoredbyDominoes · 2026-10-17T18:53:07+00:00

Demonstrating against large class sizes is one thing. Smashing up shop windows and looting goods is another. Idiots. They are 14/15 and when they are arrested the French authorities will come down on them and their criminal records will stay with them forever. Where are the parents in all of this? Woukd this happen in the UK?

LuckyHazelFox · Today 11:08

warninglivewithoutwarning · Today 11:05

They’re looting Louis Vuitton which is quite funny to me

...which says this is more than just about poor education. BLM riots featured the same actions.

LuckyHazelFox · Today 11:07

Poor wee lambs are so used to weak governments. Then the do gooders overlook the violence and the arson. The cycle then repeats itself.

warninglivewithoutwarning · Today 11:05

They’re looting Louis Vuitton which is quite funny to me

Thelitterpibgs · Today 11:03

Raiderofthelostbattenburg · Today 09:52

What the Far Right are doing is weaponising the unrest, and using it to push the same old line that anything and everything is about immigration.

It is horse shoe theory in action: anti semitic and islamophobic conspiracy being pushed by the extremes and the protestors’ legitimate concerns being lost in the midst of it.

You can see it on this thread - posters in France are describing what they are actually seeing and experiencing and they are being shouted down and told they are wrong by people miles away, based on something on extremist influencers from one side or another have circulated online.

Yeah it’s quite chilling. Thanks to @Utahthecat and @AlicePottery and others for their informative posts.
i have been looking into it a bit more since.

DuchesseChou · Today 11:01

I’m in France, drove through a riot last week actually on the way to collect my dc from school. There was definitely a group of youths walking towards the lycée at the end of classes compared to the students coming out of the school. So based on that I think the protests have been hijacked.

The French history of protesting is one of the reasons that the quality of life is so good here however, I completely disagree with burning down historic buildings.

I hope it all calms down, meanwhile life goes on as normal and I’m off to the local Sunday market now for my legumes!

inamarina · Today 11:00

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:21

"the sudden outrage amongst young people about class sizes and substitute teachers"

We protested about these kinds of education cuts 30 years ago when I was young.

Sure, that still doesn’t mean that everyone joining in is totally passionate about that particular cause, rather than wanting a day off school/ being dragged along by their parents/ wanting to be part of the group.

inamarina · Today 10:50

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:10

"its disingenuous to claim no 'protestors' were involved and its 2 strictly seperate groups."

The rioters dress differently and arrive separately. It's not that a peaceful protestor suddenly starts looting a shop. Fighting with a police officer maybe, but you don't suddenly become a thief, do you?

Someone on here mentioned earlier that they actually knew someone in real life, a polite and seemingly sensible young man, who got carried away during the (2011?) riots and grabbed some shoes from a store that was being looted.
So yes, it can happen spontaneously.

Anonanonay · Today 10:40

I can't believe what they've done to Limoges.

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · Today 10:34

inamarina · Today 10:17

Agree. Tbh, the sudden outrage amongst young people about class sizes and substitute teachers reminds me a bit of the Fridays for Future demos.

Some kids certainly felt passionate about it, but many just tagged along, happy about getting a day off school (until their hero Greta jumped onto the next cause).

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Greta Thunberg’s ability to jump on band wagons is a marvel. She manages to turn any cause, however worthy or however bad, into a laughable circus.

Sosorryaboutthis · Today 10:29

C.... Radical Moslems

Sosorryaboutthis · Today 10:29

B...the far left

Sosorryaboutthis · Today 10:29

A..... anarchists

Sosorryaboutthis · Today 10:28

My post was deleted for saying honestly that this has degenerated into an unholy alliance of three groups. I want to know which one is the one we are not allowed to say. Experiment below...ABC..

EasternStandard · Today 10:25

PenelopeShadow · Today 10:23

She was in spirit!

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I don’t think that part is visible.

Anabolicanna · Today 10:25

I’ve been in France when the French were demonstrating about the cost of fuel. We were in Lyon and couldn’t get out. Demonstrators were everywhere waving flags and using loud hailers. All the fuel stations across France were shut. The French really know how to get their message across.

These types of demonstrations in France and the far right rising in Germany put me off wanting to rejoin the EU. Do we really want to be part of that?

PenelopeShadow · Today 10:23

GingerBeverage · Today 10:22

Greta has popped over there now. Admonishing the police for violence.

Not sure she was at the town hall burning though.

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She was in spirit!

GingerBeverage · Today 10:22

inamarina · Today 10:17

Agree. Tbh, the sudden outrage amongst young people about class sizes and substitute teachers reminds me a bit of the Fridays for Future demos.

Some kids certainly felt passionate about it, but many just tagged along, happy about getting a day off school (until their hero Greta jumped onto the next cause).

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Greta has popped over there now. Admonishing the police for violence.

Not sure she was at the town hall burning though.

Electra10E · Today 10:22

Monty36 · Today 09:26

I suspect anyone who wants to see Europe unsettled. Who gains an advantage for that to occur.
Given it is organised over a variety of European countries. Copy cat some might be, but not on this scale.

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No, this is French far left led coupled with simple thuggery.

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:21

"the sudden outrage amongst young people about class sizes and substitute teachers"

We protested about these kinds of education cuts 30 years ago when I was young.

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:20

Naunet · Today 10:14

So you think its impossible that someone who is a student and unhappy with conditions, might protest and then later join in with the riot because actually, they also enjoy a bit of anarchy?! You realise students can be violent, nasty thugs too, yes?

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The rioters have their faces covered.
I guess it's not impossible that normal protesters might join them. I can imagine some destruction of the area around where they're protesting, but looting shops and attacking fire engines seems so far removed from what they went there to do.

inamarina · Today 10:17

PenelopeShadow · Today 09:59

And anyone who doesn't realise this is has very simple thinking.

Protests about education funding, my left buttock!

It may, may, have started like that but a quick glance at those burning down the heritage and shops of France show that they are not French schoolchildren. They are those who have no love for France or western civilisation.

What on earth is that awful Greta Thunberg doing there: is she suddenly concerned about French educational resources?

Why are some of these "schoolchildren" wearing Palestinian colours?

It's a real riddle isn't it?

As to protesting about a lack of teachers?

Well, I wouldn't teach in certain areas of France where, to show a picture of Mohammed, might earn me the same fate as Samuel Paty and nor should anyone else.

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Agree. Tbh, the sudden outrage amongst young people about class sizes and substitute teachers reminds me a bit of the Fridays for Future demos.

Some kids certainly felt passionate about it, but many just tagged along, happy about getting a day off school (until their hero Greta jumped onto the next cause).

Naunet · Today 10:14

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:10

"its disingenuous to claim no 'protestors' were involved and its 2 strictly seperate groups."

The rioters dress differently and arrive separately. It's not that a peaceful protestor suddenly starts looting a shop. Fighting with a police officer maybe, but you don't suddenly become a thief, do you?

So you think its impossible that someone who is a student and unhappy with conditions, might protest and then later join in with the riot because actually, they also enjoy a bit of anarchy?! You realise students can be violent, nasty thugs too, yes?

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · Today 10:12

Raiderofthelostbattenburg · Today 10:01

That is a fair point - but they are posting directly on Mumsnet, so the Mumsnet moderators could verify them if there was any reason to doubt the veracity of their claims (which I don’t imagine there is)

I don’t think screenshots from X are helpful. Their posts can’t be verified.

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My point wasn’t that the posters might actually be sitting in Bristol or Edinburgh, it was that we have no idea what their information is, who it comes from or what they want to believe.

EasternStandard · Today 10:12

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:10

"its disingenuous to claim no 'protestors' were involved and its 2 strictly seperate groups."

The rioters dress differently and arrive separately. It's not that a peaceful protestor suddenly starts looting a shop. Fighting with a police officer maybe, but you don't suddenly become a thief, do you?

I don’t think that’s the case. Crowd behaviour can be contagious.

I’m sure plenty of students were peaceful. But the looting was full on enough with many cheering it on.

Gwenhwyfar · Today 10:10

"its disingenuous to claim no 'protestors' were involved and its 2 strictly seperate groups."

The rioters dress differently and arrive separately. It's not that a peaceful protestor suddenly starts looting a shop. Fighting with a police officer maybe, but you don't suddenly become a thief, do you?