French school protests spread as fires, blockades deepen unrest
Police said 1,949 people were arrested and 305 officers injured as protests spread to more than 1,000 high schools across France.
French school protests have intensified as schools across the country face overcrowding, teacher shortages, and dilapidated facilities. Over 1,000 high schools have been affected, with authorities reporting 1,949 arrests and 305 injured police officers. Students aged 15 to 18, in their final three years of secondary education, have set fire to bins and erected blockades at several schools in cities across France.
Violence has erupted in some instances, with reports of principals being injured, harassed, or assaulted, and a school principal being splashed with petrol in Marseille. Students have also targeted university campuses, causing disruptions at around 30 locations. In Nantes, firefighters had to extinguish a fire in a high school entrance following a violent altercation.
The protests come amid high inflation, particularly soaring fuel prices, and as France prepares for presidential elections. LFI party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has condemned the violence, insisting his party advocates non-violent methods of protest.
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