Macron calls students’ grievances legitimate but says political forces are exploiting unrest, and asks government for concrete responses within weeks

French President Emmanuel Macron believes students protesting for three weeks have legitimate grievances but are also being exploited by political forces, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said Wednesday. She said Macron, who is in his final six months in office, has asked the government to develop “concrete responses” to the high school students’ unrest within weeks. The protests have closed many schools.

The comments followed nationwide solidarity demonstrations on Tuesday. The interior ministry reported 161,500 people at rallies in Paris and other cities, while the unions organizing them estimated turnout at 480,000.

Isolated violence broke out on the sidelines of marches in Paris and Lyon, prompting police to fire tear gas. Bregeon added that Macron had stressed at the cabinet meeting that young people’s concerns were legitimate but were being used for political purposes and channeled into urban violence.