Nearly 600 students and teachers from more than 30 secondary schools and universities in Hong Kong are considering cancelling trips to Paris in November as protests in France continue. The participating students were originally scheduled to take part in the International Genetically Engineering Machine Grand Jamboree (iGEM), a synthetic biology competition, held in Paris from Nov. 13-16. Organisers told schools the event will go ahead and that the venue is far from the main protest areas, but several local schools are considering safety risks before potentially cancelling the trips, opting for online attendance instead or limiting their itineraries.
On Oct. 20, the Hong Kong government issued the amber outbound travel alert for France, advising the public to be wary of the situation, avoid large crowds and non-essential travel to protest sites. The alert came in response to the protests that started in late September, with high school students staging demonstrations against staff shortages, dilapidated school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, long school hours and the Parcoursup university admissions system.
The protests then expanded to include unions and cost of living issues before turning into riots and looting around Oct. 17, with fires set and shops destroyed. More than 2,700 arrests were made. Further protests on Oct. 24 recorded an estimated 410,000 people nationwide taking to the streets with around 110,000 of them in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. The main authorised march in Paris was largely peaceful, but clashes broke out in Paris and Marseille after nightfall.
Samuel Cheng Kin-tak, principal of United Christian College (Kowloon East), said his school’s team of nine students and one teacher were originally scheduled to set off on Nov. 10. He added that safety was the school’s top consideration and that there was still some time to assess the situation with teachers and parents.
Cheng also said that students had spent a lot of time over the summer on research and presentations and would be disappointed if the trip was cancelled, although he admitted that schools’ activities should not entail too much risk. The school is also considering participating in the competition online as an alternative. Other schools with joint teams have also expressed similar concerns.
The Education Bureau has repeatedly emphasised that safety should be the priority for overseas study activities and that schools should be flexible in adjusting plans according to on-the-ground conditions. It said it will remain in contact with concerned schools and will offer support where needed. Universities with students on exchange in France confirmed that they have contacted those students and are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Tour operators have also started to revise their itineraries. Hong Kong travel agency WWPKG cancelled two Western Europe tours that included France and were set to depart in the coming week, affecting about 30 passengers, and will review other later departures. EGL Tours said one of its groups ran into protests near the Louvre on Oct. 17, and police cleared a route for the group’s coach. Tour operators have highlighted contingency plans for those abroad and have pared back France-related itineraries in the short term.
“Protests do happen in France, but the scale and the violence this time have been different,” said Louise Brisson, a French student on exchange to Hong Kong. “As someone who went through the French school system, I understand the frustration they voiced. Those problems are real, but the looting and fires make people worried about safety.” She added “It’s strange being abroad while this is happening. It’s hard to know how long this will last.”
It is unclear whether the iGEM teams will still go to Paris or not. Schools are waiting until the next couple of days or weeks to make a final decision, balancing the safety of students against months of preparation and the opportunity to compete on an international stage. The Education Bureau and travel industry will continue to monitor the situation as the amber alert remains in place.