High school protests across France intensified this week as students set fires, blocked school entrances and clashed with police over deteriorating conditions in the country’s education system.
Authorities said 625 people, most of them young, were detained on Wednesday. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 83 police officers were injured, while government figures reported 159 students and education staff injured during several days of unrest.
The protests began at some schools last week before spreading more widely on Tuesday alongside nationwide demonstrations over the government’s upcoming budget. By Wednesday and Thursday, confrontations had escalated in cities including Paris, Nantes, Toulouse, Rennes, Lyon and Lille.
In Nantes, a fire broke out at Lycée Nelson Mandela, while students at several other schools erected blockades and set trash cans on fire. University students also joined demonstrations in some areas, prompting the prime minister to call an inter-ministerial crisis meeting.
Students say their anger is driven by chronic problems in public schools, including deteriorating buildings, overcrowding and teachers who are not replaced when they leave. At Lycée Paul Éluard in Saint-Denis, a student told Reuters that the school had broken facilities, pest problems and temporary classrooms that became extremely cold in winter and hot in summer.
Around 400 schools nationwide have reportedly been affected by student blockades, with some teaching staff supporting the demonstrations.
President Emmanuel Macron said he understood young people's concerns and anger but argued that they did not justify violence. He also criticized politicians who he said were encouraging students during the unrest.
The protests come as Macron’s government faces pressure to reduce France’s public debt while addressing concerns about funding and conditions in the education system.