France Shuts 400 Schools Following Wave of Student Protests
More than 400 French schools closed after student demonstrations against poor classroom conditions and staffing shortages escalated into nationwide unrest and arrests.
French authorities closed more than 400 schools across the country on Friday following days of student protests and blockades that led to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests.
The closures affected secondary schools nationwide as administrators moved classes online to protect students and staff. Demonstrations that started in the Paris region in late September expanded quickly to cities including Marseille, Lille, Nantes, Lyon, and Toulouse.
Students launched the actions to protest teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings, and heavy weekly schedules. In some locations, protesters barricaded entrances with trash bins and set fires near gates. Officials reported that demonstrators set fires at multiple schools and torched a vehicle in Strasbourg.
The French Interior Ministry reported that officers detained 1,949 people on Thursday alone, mostly on accusations of violence or participation in unauthorized gatherings. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin stated on Friday that roughly 2,000 people had been arrested since the start of the demonstrations, with about two-thirds placed in custody. Darmanin said the actions had crossed from student protests into public-order disturbances.
The unrest has caused scores of injuries among demonstrators, staff, and security forces. Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated that 170 students and 65 school employees, including dozens of headteachers, had suffered injuries. The Interior Ministry said 305 police officers and gendarmes were injured during clashes.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis cabinet meeting to address the school disruptions, and ministers canceled planned travel. Government officials claimed that far-left political figures had encouraged the disruption, an allegation that opposition lawmakers denied. Student groups also criticized the police for using excessive force and deploying tear gas against young people outside school grounds.
Government ministers called for dialogue to ease tensions across the education system. Education Minister Edouard Geffray scheduled meetings with student union leaders and parent associations on Friday, while student organizations urged pupils to maintain strike actions and school blockades.
