France has suspended high school classes nationwide for the remainder of the week as large-scale student protests over conditions in the country’s education system intensify, with demonstrations in several cities escalating into clashes with police.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the suspension Tuesday as students continued to demand reforms addressing overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings and other concerns.
Police used tear gas against demonstrators blockading schools as rallies unfolded across the country. Authorities estimated about 250,000 people participated nationwide, while organizers placed the figure closer to 500,000.
The High School Students Union said nearly 2,000 high schools were either blockaded or closed Tuesday.
The demonstrations have also attracted support from teachers, parents and several labour groups, including agricultural and energy workers. Protesters marched through Paris and other major cities, while demonstrations in Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes at times descended into confrontations between police and protesters.
Fires were set in some streets and projectiles were thrown at officers, prompting police to deploy tear gas.
The protest movement began approximately two weeks ago in some of Paris’s poorest suburbs before spreading across France. The government has said some demonstrations have deteriorated into urban violence and deployed riot police to several gatherings.
Lecornu defended the decision to suspend classes, arguing that damaging schools would not resolve concerns about deteriorating educational facilities. He said the temporary closure would give school administrators, teachers and students an opportunity to discuss their concerns internally.
The prime minister has also instructed government ministers to respond to students’ demands by the end of October. The government has indicated it will examine measures to repair aging school buildings, although France’s fiscal pressures could complicate efforts to significantly increase education spending.
The protests have resulted in thousands of arrests and hundreds of injuries.
France’s Interior Ministry said approximately 6,100 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began, with most of those detained under the age of 18. The Justice Ministry said more than 1,800 people are expected to face prosecution, including 1,483 minors.
At least 215 teenagers and 715 police officers have been injured during the unrest, according to Lecornu.
The severity of the clashes drew further attention Monday after a 15-year-old boy suffered devastating injuries during a demonstration in Lens in northern France. Local media reported that the teenager lost his hand and part of his arm after picking up a police grenade during clashes.
The French government said between 200 and 250 protesters had been throwing objects at police during the confrontation.
The demonstrations have also drawn international political attention. U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the unrest through a social media post, linking the protests to immigration and Islam. He offered no evidence to support the claim, while the demonstrations have primarily centred on demands for improvements to France’s education system.
