French school protests widen as more than 160 schools close

Protests by French secondary school students over classroom overcrowding, teacher shortages and deteriorating facilities widened on Thursday, with more than 160 schools closed across the country. Police said about 340 demonstrations were taking place outside high schools by midmorning. University students also joined the movement, blocking access to about 30 campuses in Paris, Marseille and other locations, according to a student union.

The protests began with grievances over timetables, class sizes, staff shortages and overheated classrooms during recent heatwaves. Students have also criticised spending on anti-phone pouches after smartphones were banned in schools at the start of the academic year. The demonstrations have included fires, blockades and damage to public property.

In Nantes, firefighters extinguished a fire at a high school entrance after a gathering marked by violence towards staff, according to the regional education board. Authorities also reported vandalism near schools in several cities. In Strasbourg, trams were halted to restrict the movement of demonstrators and rioters.

Students obstructed tracks with barriers, while police used tear gas in the area. In Toulouse, young people reportedly overturned bins, started fires, threw projectiles and damaged bus shelters. Similar damage was reported in Lille.

The government has described the protests as urban violence and accused the hard-left France Unbowed party of encouraging the unrest. The party’s presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Melenchon, said it had called for non-violent methods of protest. Riot police have been deployed, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the force had opened internal investigations after allegations of brutality involving three pupils.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu also urged ministers to postpone nationwide travel, according to a source close to him. In neighbouring Belgium, police reported protests and damage at several schools in Liege.