Many have tuned in to the civil unrest that is, in some instances, literally burning France. The initial reports tied the origins of the conflict to student demonstrations over declining conditions and resources in the classroom. Though such needs are justifiably apparent, make no mistake: The destruction we have seen in France this fall is not the work of students.
In mid-September, teachers at a high school outside Paris walked out over staff shortages, and their students blocked the entrance with trash cans. One sophomore said there were 34 in the class and sometimes not enough chairs. But within two weeks, more than 1,000 schools were caught up in it. On Oct. 17, masked rioters burned most of the 143-year-old town hall in Limoges, and more than 1,800 people were arrested. That kind of fire does not come from teenagers fussing over crowded classrooms. It is fair to ask: Who was guiding them?
