// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Are student protests being manipulated ahead of France's presidential election?
The French prime minister has accused the radical left of weaponising the high school movement for electoral advantage
The French passion for protest is legendary in Europe.
Over the last few years, we have regularly witnessed farmers angry about costly regulations lobbing manure at local mayoral offices, while masked youths periodically hurl homemade grenades at riot police in disadvantaged city suburbs.
For over three weeks now, thousands of students have barricaded entry to high schools and taken their grievances to the streets.
This Saturday, hundreds of new demonstrations have been announced across France.
Students are expected to be joined by workers' unions and key figures from the so-called "yellow vest" movement.
France's prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, suggested this week that student anger was being manipulated as politics heats up ahead of next year's presidential election.
The gilets jaunes (yellow vests) demonstrated against cost-of-living hikes for over a year from 2018 - becoming one of the longest-lived protest movements in French history.
Jérôme Rodrigues (R) played a leading role in the gilets jaunes movement several years ago
Jérôme Rodrigues, a prominent gilets jaunes activist, has used Instagram to encourage people to join Saturday's demonstrations.