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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has joined student protests in France over teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings and poor classroom conditions.
The 23-year-old activist was seen with protesting students outside the Paul Éluard High School in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, on Tuesday, as nationwide demonstrations were being planned, France 24 reported.
Students across France have been protesting for weeks, demanding improvements in staffing and school infrastructure. Tuesday’s demonstrations were expected to draw support from trade unions and opposition political parties, including the left-wing France Unbowed (La France Insoumise).
A march was also scheduled in Paris, starting at noon GMT, as the movement expanded beyond student groups.
Thunberg rose to international prominence as a teenager through school strikes demanding stronger action against climate change. Her appearance at the protest has drawn further attention to the students’ campaign.
Although the number of schools affected by closures has declined, authorities have expressed concern about rising violence. According to France’s Education Ministry, 130 of the country’s 3,700 high schools were closed on Monday.
“The number of school closures is falling, but violence is increasing,” the ministry warned, raising concerns about possible clashes during Tuesday’s nationwide demonstrations.
The protests, which began over school conditions and infrastructure, have increasingly gained wider social and political significance in France.