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Over 600 Detained as French Student Protests Turn Violent
Developing
In Short: French security forces detained over 600 people on Wednesday as protests against school conditions escalated across the country, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. The protests, which began in the Ile-de-France region around Paris, have now spread to other cities.
Nunez noted that 625 people were detained during high school blockades on Wednesday, and 83 police officers and gendarmes were wounded. Since the start of the unrest last week, 119 students and staff members have been injured.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray emphasized the need for students to return to class, especially those currently prevented from doing so. The movement, which has angered the government, involves students aged 15 to 18 protesting over grievances ranging from timetables and class sizes to a shortage of teachers and overheated classrooms during the heatwaves.
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Madrid, criticized hard-left politicians for 'legitimising violence' in the French school protests. He stressed the importance of addressing the students' concerns while maintaining order.
The protests have seen blockades of high schools and violent clashes, affecting a total of 356 schools on Wednesday. The government is facing pressure to find a solution to the ongoing unrest.
What's still developing
- The protests started in the Ile-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide.