France has been rocked by a wave of escalating school protests that have spiraled into arson, attacks on teachers and violent clashes with police, leaving hundreds arrested and scores injured.
Interior Minister Laurent Núñez said 625 people were detained Wednesday as unrest spread to 356 schools across the country.
Eighty-three police officers and gendarmes were injured during the day’s disturbances, while education officials reported injuries among teachers, school staff and students.
The demonstrations began in the greater Paris area before rapidly spreading to other parts of France.
Students initially took to the streets over complaints about teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings, overcrowding and a lack of resources.
But authorities say some demonstrations have descended into outright violence.
Schools have been damaged, fires have been set and vehicles belonging to teachers have been torched.
In some areas, demonstrators hurled projectiles at police and attempted to set buildings ablaze, prompting authorities to describe scenes resembling urban violence.
The turmoil grew even more serious Thursday when attackers at a Marseille high school reportedly poured gasoline on a headteacher during the unrest. A firetruck was also set ablaze.
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French authorities have accused outside agitators and far-left groups of helping inflame some of the demonstrations, though students participating in the broader movement have said their protests are driven by frustration with conditions inside their schools.
President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that students have legitimate complaints but said those grievances cannot excuse attacks on teachers, police officers or journalists.
“But I think the violence comes above all from those who shoved and kicked teachers,” he said.
Macron also said police officers must follow professional standards and that any misconduct by law enforcement should be investigated and prosecuted.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said the level of violence directed at school employees was unprecedented and called for students to be able to return safely to class.
Officials have increasingly turned to remote learning in some affected areas as authorities struggle to contain the unrest.
The violence has also become a political flashpoint as France prepares for debate over its 2027 budget and spending priorities.
Government officials have accused political activists of exploiting legitimate student frustration, while opposition figures have criticized the government’s handling of the demonstrations and school conditions.
The protests have now spread well beyond their original Paris-area strongholds, hitting cities including Marseille, Lyon, Lille and Bordeaux.
With hundreds of arrests, dozens of injured police officers and schools damaged by arson and vandalism, what began as a protest over education funding has become a major public-order crisis for the French government.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
