France sees over 400 schools shut as student protests persist amid arrests and injuries
More than 400 French schools remained closed on Friday as student demonstrations over education issues continued, with police reporting around 2,000 arrests and dozens of injuries.
Over 400 schools and colleges across France were closed on Friday as student protests over teacher shortages, dilapidated facilities and insufficient learning materials continued, some turning violent. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said 735 teaching establishments were affected, a decrease from the previous day, and reported three emergency responders injured while responding to incidents. He condemned isolated acts of extreme violence within the broader movement.
The unrest, which began in Paris-area high schools last month, has spread nationwide. Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called for calm, acknowledging the right to demonstrate but describing the violence as inexcusable. Damage included a fire at Lycée Mandela in Nantes, expected to keep the school closed until mid-October, and fires or petrol attacks at several other high schools.
Police have made roughly 2,000 arrests and reported injuries to dozens of people, including 40 high-school principals. Authorities estimated damages of at least €25 million in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and about €7 million in the Île-de-France region.
Student representatives criticized the police response, with one protester displaying a placard that read, "You don't want to hear our words; you just fire tear gas." Geffray warned that "violent individuals" were infiltrating the protests and urged parents to keep children off the streets. After meeting with student leaders and trade unions, the groups reiterated demands for concrete action and asked demonstrators to avoid violence.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said intelligence agencies believe the movement is being used by politicians from the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party, which denied the claim. LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon expressed support for the protests while urging non-violent methods. Student unions have called for a mass protest on October 6, demanding the removal of police from schools and an end to repression.