400 Schools Closed Across France as Student Protests Turn Violent

Around 400 schools and educational establishments across France are expected to remain closed on Friday as France student protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings escalate, with violent incidents reported in several cities.

The demonstrations began in the Paris region last month over education-related concerns but have since spread nationwide. Authorities say the unrest has resulted in dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests.

Protests spread across French cities

French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said around 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began, with approximately two-thirds placed in police custody. He said authorities were dealing with what he described as a violent minority and questioned whether all those involved were high-school students.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Thursday evening that slightly more than 400 schools and other educational establishments would remain closed on Friday.

The escalation included fires at two high schools on Thursday, while teachers at another school in Marseille were accidentally splashed with petrol, according to officials. A car was also set on fire in Strasbourg, while riot police clashed with young people in Toulouse.

Darmanin said attacks on buses and schools had moved the situation beyond a conventional student protest and into a wider public-order issue.

Political accusations emerge

A source close to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu claimed intelligence agencies told a crisis meeting that politicians from France's hard left, including members of La France Insoumise (LFI), had helped initiate the movement.

LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard rejected the allegation in comments to French broadcasters.

The unrest has also spread beyond France. Students in Liege, Belgium, began demonstrations on Thursday, and local authorities reportedly announced school closures there for Friday, although a municipal spokesperson had not immediately confirmed the decision.

The French government now faces pressure to address the education grievances while authorities attempt to contain the increasingly violent incidents.