France closes up to 500 schools Monday over student protests

Up to 500 French high schools could be partially or fully closed on Monday due to student protests, according to Education Minister Édouard Geffray. The closures come after days of clashes between riot police and protesting students. Around 400 to 500 schools are set to have lessons suspended, either fully or partially, due to security concerns.

In total, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since the protests began last week. The demonstrations have involved thousands of students, protesting against poor education standards, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated buildings. The protests have spread from Paris to other cities, including Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille.

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin revealed that 735 of the country's 3,700 schools have been affected by the violent protests, with the Education Minister warning that the number could be similar to Friday's figure. Geffray also claimed the presence of activists, particularly from the far-left, infiltrating the student movement and engaging in extreme violence.

Eighty-seven staff members in education have been wounded, a situation never seen before. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 1,747 people were arrested on Friday, with over 5,000 arrests overall since the movement started, with about 85% of them minors. Despite the confrontations, organizers of the protests have called for the demonstrations to continue on Tuesday, accusing the government of lacking concrete measures.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged the government's efforts to address the issues, including ensuring classes continue, improving facilities, organizing school days better, and making the French university admissions platform more transparent. Additionally, the government is accelerating the review of its "vandal-pays" bill to make those responsible for damages pay for their actions.