Tan-Tan – France summoned Iran’s ambassador on Wednesday over what it called a “disinformation campaign” by Iranian authorities about ongoing high school student protests in France.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said the ambassador was summoned to protest what Paris described as false information shared online by official Iranian accounts.
“He was told that the false content published online by official accounts of the Iranian Foreign Ministry was absolutely unacceptable,” Confavreux said. France also rejected Iran’s decision to summon the French ambassador in Tehran on Tuesday, calling the move unfounded.
“These unacceptable provocations must stop,” Confavreux said.
The diplomatic dispute comes as French high school students continue to protest and block schools over demands related to education and government policy. Student and university groups have called for further blockades and demonstrations on Thursday, with several teachers’ unions backing the movement.
The protests have also raised concerns over police tactics following clashes between students and security forces.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told lawmakers on Wednesday that authorities had made 6,629 arrests since September 28. He said 761 police officers and gendarmes had been injured, alongside 215 students and 89 education staff.
Nuñez defended the government’s handling of the protests before the National Assembly’s Law Commission, rejecting claims that police had used excessive force. He also denied reports that President Emmanuel Macron had criticized the security forces during a meeting at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday.
“The president absolutely did not say that,” Nuñez said, adding that no instructions had been given to restrict the use of certain police weapons.
Earlier Wednesday, Nuñez announced the suspension of the use of stun grenades during the high school student protests following injuries during recent demonstrations, including a 15-year-old student who lost a hand in Lens.
Meanwhile, student and university representatives said they wanted to meet Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, arguing that the government had not yet announced concrete measures in response to their demands.
Ryad Rani, president of the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, said student organizations had prepared costed proposals and were seeking a meeting with Lecornu next week.
The government says the scale of Wednesday’s mobilization was significantly lower than Tuesday’s demonstrations, which saw large numbers of students take part in protests across France.
Lecornu is expected to address the country from Matignon on Wednesday evening as pressure grows on the government to respond to the movement.
