In pictures: Hundreds held and dozens wounded as French school protests escalate

French high school students have extended their blockades of schools, calling for more resources and better learning conditions. University students have now joined the movement, blocking campuses. The protests, which began last week in the Ile-de-France region around Paris, have spread to other cities nationwide.

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, 625 people were detained during high school blockades on Wednesday, with 83 police officers and gendarmes wounded during the protests. The protests affected a total of 356 schools. Since the start of the unrest last week, 119 students and staff members have been injured, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said.

The minister slammed the targeting of law enforcement officers, the throwing of projectiles, acts of violence, verbal abuse, attempted arson, and what amounts to urban violence.

The protests are over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes, and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year's heatwaves. The movement has angered the government. The cities worst affected included Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Lille, where police used tear gas.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local France, Malay Mail, Euronews, France 24, RTE News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.