Student protests in France, in pictures

Student protests have been taking place across France, with demonstrations held to call for better school conditions, improvements to the education system, and more opportunities for youths. According to the BBC News, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Tuesday, with some cities seeing the deployment of tear gas and water cannon.

The protests have led to concerns about police use of force, particularly after a 15-year-old lost a hand earlier in the week when a stun grenade was fired. The interior ministry reported 488 arrests and 43 members of the security forces injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has suspended the use of stun grenades for policing student protests until the facts of the incident in Lens have been clarified.

The disruption continued on Wednesday, with more than 500 schools fully or partially shut. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to address the nation in an evening speech. According to RFI English, this is part of the government's drive to end the wave of student blockades that have closed high schools throughout the country.

Brief written by urgent.news from El Pais English, BBC News, BBC World, RFI English, RTE News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.