Students angry over the state of the country’s education system have blockaded hundreds of schools. Thousands of protesters have been arrested and dozens of people injured.
Thousands of angry students have blockaded high schools around France in recent days to protest the state of education, leading to escalating violence and clashes with the riot police.
Dozens of people have been injured since the protests began late last month, and thousands have been arrested, most of them minors, officials said. The protests erupted in a heated climate, as the government tries to pass a belt-tightening budget and as France gears up for presidential elections next year.
Over a third of France’s roughly 3,700 high schools were closed or disrupted on Thursday, and over 400 were closed on Friday, Édouard Geffray, France’s education minister, told BFMTV.
Teachers’ unions and some political figures have joined the protests in solidarity. The French government has called some of the students’ demands legitimate but has condemned “urban violence” and accused a far-left party, France Unbowed, of whipping up the demonstrations. The party has rejected the accusation.
Some students have distanced themselves from the violence, but there are calls for more protest in the coming week.
Here’s what to know:
