France Holds Special Meeting to Discuss School Security
The French government held a special security meeting to discuss increasing protection measures at schools in the wake of several deadly extremist attacks in the country.
The meeting, led by President Francois Hollande, was designed to inform educational professionals about the new security measures that will be present at educational facilities when the new school year starts in September.
Although the extremist threat is still at a “very high level,” the amount of military troops protecting sensitive sites will be decreased as the summer winds down.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueve will announce specific measures to protect schools next week, but confirmed the goal to form a national guard of 84,000 people in the coming months to ensure security.
Cazenueve also offered up an update on the French effort to stave off attacks in the future. He said the government is “conducting investigations every day” and are making arrests of “individuals we think could pose a threat.”
France has been under a state of emergency since attacks claimed by Islamic State in Paris in November that killed 130 people, another 85 were killed in Nice on the French holiday of Bastille Day.