The key facts
- On November 6, fire near the Édouard Herriot lyceum in Lyon damaged the building's doors and facade
- Medvedev ironically addressed Josep Borrell on X, who had compared Europe to a
Arson at the lyceum and Medvedev's reaction
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev ironically commented on the arson of a lyceum in Lyon, France, playing on the well-known comparison of Europe to a Life.ru.
What happened in Lyon
The comment was prompted by events on November 6 near the Édouard Herriot lyceum. Protesters set fire to garbage bins and electric scooters there; the flames spread to the entrance of the building, damaging the doors and facade. Medvedev's irony was aimed at former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who in October 2022 compared Europe to a garden and the rest of the world to a jungle.
Context of the protests
The incident occurred against the backdrop of mass demonstrations in France. The day before, on November 5, protest rallies against the rising cost of living and problems in public services took place across the country; in several cities the demonstrations were accompanied by clashes with police, arson and detentions. According to Life.ru, nearly 1.6 million people took part in protests in 207 cities. The outlet also cites these figures in a separate article about the dispersal of demonstrations in Lyon, where, according to its information, 55,000 residents took part.
