The students, however, steered away from party politics and refused to peddle slogans. Instead, they railed against an outdated system of education which does not adequately prepare them for a tough and highly competitive job market. The movement began with peaceful demonstrations in the suburbs and provinces culminating in a mass rally in Paris. They live in impoverished neighbourhoods and are mainly the daughters and sons of poor immigrants who cannot gain entrance to the more prestigious Parisian schools. They are the ones who are, as a rule, picked up, harassed and sometimes even killed by the police.
Student revolts are a recurring event in France.
Not much has changed since then, though, and the schools of the poor remain astoundingly ill-equipped. In the wake of the demonstrations, a national coordination committee was formed and is expected to come up with recommendations regarding educational reforms. Students, however, are unimpressed with the committee's stand and its composition. Many student leaders believe that the committee has already taken a biased stand by condemning acts of violence without referring to police brutality or the relevant social context. The student leaders also rejected the committee for not being representative, because it is exclusively made up of Parisians.