A polyvalent high school in Lormont, near Bordeaux, was partially destroyed during an intrusion on Thursday, coinciding with a nationwide student mobilization that has gripped France for over a week. The damage is estimated to run into hundreds of thousands of euros, according to the school’s headmaster.
A Day That Began Peacefully
The day at the Lormont polyvalent high school started with a general assembly that went “very well” between students, teachers, and administration, according to headmaster Thierry Malewicz. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly outside the school grounds.
“A group of hotheads, hooded of course, masked, were throwing stones at law enforcement,” Malewicz reported.
Organized Intrusion and Extensive Damage
The intrusion occurred as students were departing for the demonstration. According to Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul, who has opened an investigation, “a group of 30 to 40 people” entered the premises. He described them as “rather young, though not necessarily all minors,” acting with “a desire to ransack.”
The extent of the destruction was severe:
- Multiple classrooms were devastated, with windows and computer equipment smashed
- At least ten computers, valued at 3,000 euros each, were stolen
- A room housing paper supplies for the graphic arts section was set on fire, causing damage estimated between 100,000 and 200,000 euros
- Staff and students were confined and then evacuated during the fire brigade’s intervention
Official Condemnation
Education officials were quick to denounce the violence. “This is the opposite of what high school students have been fighting for daily for ten days,” said academy rector Jean-Marc Huart.
Prefect Sophie Brocas emphasized that “dialogue has been established” and described it as “very regrettable that others are causing damage.” Regional vice-president Jean-Louis Nembrini called it “heartbreaking,” noting that the Region devotes “more than 170 million euros to investments in high schools.”
A separate intrusion without damage forced a high school in Talence to suspend classes.
Violence Erupts in Bordeaux City Center
In Bordeaux proper, the demonstration gathered 2,800 people according to prefecture figures and proceeded peacefully before individuals began setting fire to garbage bins in the city center. Law enforcement responded to projectile throws with tear gas.
A fire notably targeted a branch of the central police station. “Firefighters intervened quickly and we extracted two colleagues from the premises,” a police source indicated.
Ongoing Student Movement
The vandalism comes amid a sustained student movement that has seen numerous high school blockades across France. The government has announced the deployment of 3,000 substitute teachers and suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests. Another “Act V” of the mobilization is already being planned for Tuesday.
