France Student Protests Turn Violent, Around 400 Schools to Close
Around 400 schools in France are expected to remain closed as student protests over teacher shortages and poor school infrastructure turn increasingly violent.
Around 400 schools and other educational establishments in France are expected to remain closed as student protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings escalate. Demonstrations that began in the Paris region last month have spread nationwide, with clashes, fires and hundreds of arrests reported.
French authorities said around 2,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, with roughly two-thirds placed in police custody. Officials said some demonstrations have shifted from education-focused protests into wider public-order disturbances, following incidents involving damaged buses and schools.
Violence was reported at several locations on Thursday. Fires were started at two high schools, while teachers in Marseille were accidentally splashed with petrol. A car was also set on fire in Strasbourg, while riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse.
French officials have also raised questions over the involvement of political groups. A source close to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu claimed intelligence agencies told a crisis meeting that politicians from the hard left, including members of La France Insoumise, helped initiate the movement. LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard rejected the allegation.
The protests have now crossed France’s borders, with students in Belgium’s Liege also taking to the streets. Local authorities reportedly announced school closures there, although the municipality had not immediately confirmed the decision.
