France: 400 schools shut, 3,000 arrested in student protests

A wave of violent protests has erupted across France's high schools in recent days, with some 400 educational institutions shut down or completely blocked. The French Interior Ministry reported approximately 3,000 arrests of minors since the unrest began, alongside numerous casualties including over 300 police officers and dozens of firefighters, teachers and students.

Students and administrative staff are protesting severe teacher shortages, classroom overcrowding and failing infrastructure in educational institutions. A 17-year-old student from Strasbourg described the conditions: "We are 35 students in a classroom. There aren't enough toilets, and there are water leaks in some of the rooms. The building is falling apart, the cafeteria is too small. There is zero budget, zero resources."

Some teachers have chosen to stand alongside students at the blockade sites. Juliette Estouvel, a Spanish teacher from Paris, said: "I'm here simply to provide protection, to create a buffer between the police and the students. Today it went peacefully, it's going well, but I think the teachers who come to the blockades really come to protect our young people."

Teacher Sandra Champagne-Saler added that "the violence is regrettable, but... when demands are not heard for years, and given the political and geopolitical context, there are a number of conditions that put... students in a state of real anxiety."

Across the country, several serious violent incidents have been recorded. In the city of Nantes, a school entrance was set on fire, leading to its closure for a month. In Marseille, gasoline was poured on a school principal during an arson attempt, and a fire truck that arrived to handle another blaze was attacked and burned by protesters.

A 16-year-old student interviewed by the media addressed the acts of vandalism: "I wish those who set fire to bins would protest with words," adding that the protest is "against this government that doesn't invest in heating, air conditioning or teachers' salaries."

On the political front, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan called for calm: "Our youth is justifiably worried about its future and the future of public service. It must be able to express itself in a calm framework." Opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meanwhile, emphasized that his faction supports "non-violent methods of struggle" and added that "his greatest concern is an intolerable level of police violence against these young people."

Law enforcement authorities have opened internal investigations following allegations of excessive use of force by police. As of now, the French government is holding emergency consultations, and extensive police forces are deployed at friction points. Some 400 high schools remain closed, and public transportation in some major cities, such as the light rail lines in Strasbourg, has been suspended or proactively reduced to limit protester movement.