French student protesters vow to keep up their fight after scoring first win

French student unions have pledged to continue their protests after securing their first victory in a campaign that is gaining support from Paris's prestigious universities. As of now, 141 schools remain closed across the nation, according to the education ministry. The demonstrations, now in their third week, have evolved into a broader movement, with some university students voicing their frustration over what they perceive as an inefficient system, exacerbated by spending cuts driven by France's fiscal crisis.

This situation presents a dilemma for the government, which must strike a balance between increasing education funding and curbing public debt, potentially leading to a resurgence of the aggressive street protests that have historically compelled French leaders to compromise on austerity measures. Student and teacher unions have called for additional nationwide school strikes on Tuesday.

Police dismantled a blockade at Assas university, France's leading law school, in central Paris on Friday morning, as captured by BFM TV. Concurrently, elite engineering school Mines Paris was also affected by blockades. The Institut Catholique, a prominent private university, remained unaffected.