«Lupin» Star Omar Sy Supports High School Protests in France, Condemns Authoritarian Response

French star Omar Sy has voiced support for the high school student protests sweeping France and condemned the authoritarian crackdown, which resulted in a teenager losing a hand and the temporary detention of more than 6,000 young people by police. The protests began in late September, initially over staff shortages and dilapidated schools. […]

French star Omar Sy has expressed his support for the high school student protests sweeping France, condemning the authoritarian crackdown that has led to the loss of a teenager's hand and the detention of more than 6,000 youths by police.

The protests began in late September with complaints of understaffing and dilapidated schools. Social commentators suggest they also point to deeper concerns about the country's future direction amid a cost-of-living crisis and fears about the future of jobs as AI threatens jobs.

Initially, high school students, teachers, higher education students and labor unions joined the protests. A large national mobilization is scheduled to take place this Saturday with supporters of the "Yellow Vest" movement, and more than half a million people are expected to take to the streets.

"The high school students' movement is a small beacon of light," Xi said in an interview with French state radio on Wednesday.

"It is the future of our country that will say to a nation that is completely lost: 'We have a sense of direction, listen to us.' We have a very clear idea where we want to go, because this country will be ours one day."

And I ask myself: where are the responsible adults? What is our role as adults and parents? What are we really doing with our children?" He continued.

Instead of jumping straight to blaming, punishing or correcting them, or forcing them to confront each other, we don't listen to them at all. In fact, it's even worse. We tell them to shut up and then expect them to come to an agreement on their own. "We don't even know what they are saying."

Sai is currently doing a media tour in France ahead of the October 23 launch of the fourth series of the hit Netflix series Lupin, in which he stars.

The French-born star, who rose to international prominence with her role in the 2011 comedy-drama The Intouchables, has lived in the US with her family for the past 14 years, but maintains strong ties to France, where she remains a household name.

Sy was asked if he still enjoyed life in the US, noting that it was "very different" to when he was there 14 years ago, and that the country had "hardened up significantly".

"Yes, because it's home today, but it's true that America has gotten tougher, there's no question," he said. But unfortunately, it's not just America... the whole world has been hardened in the same way and with the same intensity."

It's not better when I come back here. I find everything equally harsh. I see the same violence, the same tensions, the same wrong questions and finally the same wrong answers. "We can see the same tendency to retreat. Xenophobia. In fact, what is happening here is a global phenomenon."

Sy is not the only French star to support the high school movement.

Last week, Cannes Best Actor winner Vincent Lyndon revealed his thoughts on the feature film adaptation of Les Misérables, in which he plays Jean Valjean, during an interview.

"In May 1968, it was a rejection of consumer society," he told France Inter. "People fought with abundance. Today is a crisis caused by scarcity. These are young people who want seats to sit on...proper and functional health facilities and equitable distribution of resources and therefore opportunities.

"I have children who have gone through middle school, high school, etc., and it is true that this is one of the first times that the young generation legitimately raises their demands and rights in the face of a government that currently lacks the necessary funds to buy social peace."