More than 600 detained as French high-school protests turn violent

More than 600 people were detained in France on Wednesday as high-school protests intensified, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. Nunez said clashes and arson attacks injured 83 police officers and gendarmes, while 32 teachers and pupils were also hurt. The protests affected 356 schools, he said.

Students have blockaded high schools since last week, initially in the Paris region before demonstrations spread elsewhere. They are protesting overcrowded classrooms, heavy workloads, poor-quality learning materials and shortages of teachers. The worst-affected cities included Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Lille.

Police used tear gas during clashes in Lille, according to the source. Nunez condemned attacks on law-enforcement officers and described the events as an escalation of violence. President Emmanuel Macron said students’ concerns were legitimate but could not justify violence, attacks on police or the blocking and burning of school property.

Macron and Nunez accused far-left groups of encouraging violence. Nunez said some individuals moved between schools to incite students. Officials and politicians have criticised the left-wing La France Insoumise party and its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, over statements they said were inflaming tensions.

Mélenchon had accused the government of conducting a crackdown with racist undertones and urged supporters to stand with young people. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu rejected the accusation as insulting and said it risked deepening divisions. The source did not report any agreement between the government and protesters or detail planned measures to address the students’ complaints.