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French School Protests Continue, Shutting Hundreds of Schools
Confirmed
In Short: French high school students protested, shutting hundreds of schools and clashing with police.
French high school students continued their protests on Friday, shutting down or disrupting education at more than 560 schools out of 3,700 nationwide, according to the Ministry of National Education.
In Paris, fires damaged the entrances of two high schools, Leonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard, with the fire brigade called to extinguish the blazes.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray warned parents to tell their children not to participate in the protests, while Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin asked prosecutors to hold parents liable for damage caused by their children during the protests.
Students accused police of using excessive force, with at least 170 students injured and over 100 schools suffering severe damage.
The protests, which began in the Paris area last week, have spread nationwide, leading to violent clashes with police and blockades of schools.
On Wednesday, over 600 people were detained during the protests, with 83 police officers and gendarmes wounded.
Protesters have rallied against large class sizes, absent teachers, and other grievances, including overheated classrooms during heatwaves.
President Emmanuel Macron criticized hard-left politicians for allegedly legitimizing the violence during the protests.
Many schools, particularly in Marseille, have planned to conduct classes remotely to avoid disruptions.
What this adds
The protests have escalated, with students clashing with police and causing damage to schools.
The movement has expanded beyond Paris to other cities across France.
What's confirmed
- In Paris on Friday, fire damaged the entrances of two high schools -- Leonard de Vinci in the south of the city and Gaston-Bachelard in the southeast -- with the fire brigade called to extinguish the blazes, an AFP photographer said.
- French security forces on Wednesday detained over 600 people while dozens of police and gendarmes were wounded as protests that have seen blockades of high schools and violent clashes escalated, the interior minister said.
- The protests started in the Ile-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide.
- On Wednesday, 625 people were detained during high school blockades, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, noting an "expansion of the movement" and condemning an "escalation of violence" outside certain schools.
What's still developing
- She condemned what she said was police violence.
- Education minister declares students ‘in danger’ as hundreds of injuries reported across the country amid clashes and fires.
- Hundreds of schools have been closed across France amid a student protest movement that has turned increasingly tumultuous.