Overview
- Victor Wembanyama told reporters after the Spurs’ preseason game that he hears and supports French high-school students protesting school conditions and inequality.
- The protests, which drew 71,500 people on Thursday with 24,500 in Paris, began in late September in northern Paris suburbs over teacher absences and poor facilities and have spread nationwide.
- French ministries reported major disruptions on Thursday, with the Education Ministry saying 375 schools were fully or partly closed and the Interior Ministry saying police have made over 6,600 arrests since late September.
- Wembanyama had earlier replied “I would love to” to a fan asking if he would join the protests and said his escape from the same problems was due to luck, not the system working.
- His public support raises international attention to the students’ demands and could increase pressure on French officials, and his planned return to Paris with the Spurs in the coming months may further spotlight the issue.