High-school students protesting poor conditions in French schools have been joined by large numbers of people angry about the rising cost of living. Across three Saturdays of demonstrations in October, costumed figures including Gandalf, Black Panther, Deadpool and medieval knights became a visible part of the movement.
The costumes are intended to attract attention and bring some joy to tense demonstrations, participants told The Hollywood Reporter. Filmmaker Hippolyte Leibovici, 29, who dresses as Gandalf, said the protests began with students seeking better conditions at school. He uses the costume to speak with young demonstrators about their studies and plans, and said humor does not make their cause less serious.
Students have described overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, leaking roofs, poor sanitation, rodents and inadequate heating among their concerns. The movement expanded after students began blocking school entrances in mid-September. On Oct. 5, student unions called for national action to reform education, and police were deployed. The Associated Press reported injuries among young protesters, including a 15-year-old who lost a hand to a stun grenade. By Oct. 8, 6,600 students, most of them under 18, had been arrested, according to the report.
Leibovici’s performances as Gandalf, including his delivery of the line “You shall not pass!” to police using water cannons and tear gas, have circulated on social media. He said the character helps create a moment of light during a difficult period.
In Montpellier, business partners Luca Kraether, 28, and Thomas Honoré, 30, attend demonstrations dressed as knights. They said the armor creates a striking image and lets them present medieval imagery as shared culture rather than something belonging to a particular political faction. Kreezy, a 37-year-old personal trainer from the Paris region, wears a Black Panther costume as a symbol of solidarity, peace and hope. Lyon-based content creator BaddyDeadpool, 29, said his Deadpool outfit represents freedom, while stressing that he opposes violence.
The costumes have also drawn attention to restrictions on face coverings. Ahead of the Oct. 31 Halloween protest, the Paris Police Prefecture warned demonstrators that France’s 2010 law against concealing one’s face in public could be enforced. Mask-wearing could result in a 150-euro fine, while carrying replica weapons could lead to a fine of up to 45,000 euros and a prison sentence of three years.
Kreezy said penalties may be appropriate for people intent on causing damage, but argued that peaceful and violent protesters should not be treated alike. Kraether and Honoré said face-covering rules may have a security purpose, but warned against applying them disproportionately. At the Oct. 31 demonstration, The Hollywood Reporter observed BaddyDeadpool with police, who did not ask him to remove his mask.
Students have since returned from fall break and resumed demonstrations. The report says hundreds have been marching daily, with a nationwide strike and demonstrations planned for Nov. 5 in Paris, Montpellier, Lyon and Toulouse. Asked if he would return as Gandalf, Leibovici said he would.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.