Khaberni - In just a few days, Riyadh Rani (19 years old) has transformed from an activist among high school students to one of the prominent faces associated with the wave of protests and the closure of high schools in France. Rani chairs the High School Students' Union, which supports the current movements and demands better study conditions in educational institutions.
Rani was born in Rouen, Northern France, and grew up in a family with separated parents, living with his mother in social housing before she suddenly passed away last January.
The young man, who later moved to the nearby city of Waterloo in Lille, states that his personal experience has made him close to the difficulties facing low-income families, especially with rising food and fuel prices and the impacts of inflation.
His father, who is French of Algerian origin, has worked for many years in manual professions.
Rani recently left high school after studying in the final year specialties including fine arts, history, geography, political geography, and political sciences, and was also a member of the school's social council.
He obtained his baccalaureate diploma last September after completing a supplementary course at the Émile Zola school complex in Waterloo.
In April last year, Rani took over the presidency of the High School Students' Union, founded in 2023 and classified among the French left-wing.
This union adopts positions described as anti-fascism, pro-women's issues, active for the environment and social affairs, and it maintains relationships with the Student Union and the General Confederation of Labour.
What are the demands of the protesters?
Since the closure of several high schools about ten days ago, the organization has supported expanding the scope of student movements.
The main demands include addressing overcrowding and pressure on pupils by reducing the number of students per class, ensuring replacement of absent teachers with others, renewing outdated school buildings, and implementing measures to deal with climate change impacts within educational institutions.
With the expansion of the protests, Rani has become one of the most prominent speakers about them in the French media.
Presence in leftist circles
Although he confirms that he does not belong to any political party, Rani's career includes several milestones associated with the French left-wing circles.
In 2022, he interned with the deputy David Geroud, who later became mayor of Rouen. Additionally, last August, he participated in summer events organized by the "France Unbowed" party, as the president of the Student Union.
During the recent municipal elections, he was a candidate in the third position on a local list in Waterloo, which included representatives from several leftist parties, including "France Unbowed," the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, and the "Generations" movement.
However, Rani emphasizes that these participations do not signify membership in a political party.
Threats after rising media presence
Since the beginning of the recent student movements, Rani's media rise has not been without personal repercussions, as he announced that he received hundreds of death threats and insults of a racist nature.
While the union he chairs continues to support the protests, Rani finds himself at the heart of a debate that extends beyond school demands to include the role of youth and students in the social and political movement in France.
At the age of 19, the youngster from the cities of Rouen has become one of the most notable faces in the French student protest scene, as the movements inside a number of high schools continue.
