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Injuries and arrests as French high school student protests spread
Officials said 625 people were detained and 119 students and staff were injured as protests over school conditions turned more violent.
On Wednesday, French security forces detained 625 people as high school blockades and violent clashes escalated across France, affecting 356 schools nationwide, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
Since last week, students aged 15 to 18 have staged protests over teacher shortages, class sizes, and overheated classrooms during this year's heatwaves, citing deteriorating school conditions.
Violence during Wednesday's protests left 83 police officers and gendarmes wounded, alongside 32 teachers and pupils injured; Education Minister Edouard Geffray reported 119 total injuries since unrest began.
Speaking from Madrid, President Emmanuel Macron slammed politicians he accused of "legitimising violence," while Interior Minister Nunez alleged "individuals acting as agitators" moved between schools to incite students.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu denounced LFI presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon for calling the response a "crackdown" with "obvious racist undertones," labeling the accusation "an insult.
STUDENT PROTESTS across France over poor conditions become violent. In Marseille and Nantes, schools were set on fire and the headmaster was attacked. The government held a crisis meeting over escalating violence.