France braces for fresh nationwide student demonstrations

France prepared on Tuesday for new nationwide demonstrations as students continue to protest poor classroom conditions. High school students unions, supported by university students, labor unions, and some left-wing opposition parties, have planned marches in major cities, including a march through Paris. Free Malaysia Today reports that the mobilization includes backing from the far-left France Unbowed party.

Student and teacher unions have accused the government of failing to offer concrete solutions while continuing to crack down on demonstrators, according to RFI English. The protests, which began in late September, have involved students using rubbish bins and other obstacles to block access to secondary schools, occasionally leading to clashes with police.

The education ministry stated that while the number of school closures is falling, the violence is intensifying. On Monday, 130 of France's 3,700 government-funded secondary schools were closed. These recent demonstrations follow a Thursday protest where more than 70,000 people took to the streets and approximately 500 people were arrested, according to Free Malaysia Today. Both authorities and participants remain wary of further violence, according to The Local France and Japan Today.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, The Local France, RFI English, Japan Today, Free Malaysia Today — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.