Student protests continue across France, hundreds of schools closed

Hundreds of schools and other educational institutions remained closed in France on Friday as student protests continued across the country. Education Minister Edouard Geffray confirmed Thursday evening that more than 400 institutions were shut. Police figures show that protests forced the closure of over 560 of France's 3,700 high schools.

The protests began last week in the Paris region and have since spread nationwide. Students and school staff are demonstrating against teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings, and a lack of teaching materials.

Injuries and damage

At least 65 school staff members, including 40 principals, have been injured during the unrest, along with roughly 170 students. Police have detained about 2,000 people, 90% of whom are minors. More than 100 high schools have suffered serious damage, and at least two were set on fire on Thursday. In Marseille, teachers were accidentally doused with gasoline; a car was torched in Strasbourg; and clashes broke out between youths and police in Toulouse. On Friday, fires damaged the facades of two high schools in Paris. Authorities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region estimate damages from the protests at at least 25 million euros.

Government response

Minister Geffray warned that violent individuals have infiltrated student protest groups and urged parents to keep their children off the streets. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has asked prosecutors to hold parents accountable and require them to pay for damage caused by their children. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said security services have identified politicians from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party as organizers of the protests. Meanwhile, student unions have called for a new mass protest on Tuesday under the slogan opposing police presence in schools.