Riot police fired tear gas and carried out baton charges as more than 250,000 pupils, teachers and parents demonstrated across France in the biggest day yet of a campaign for better high school conditions. The protests, which have been marred by often violent clashes with police, saw officers deploy tear gas and water cannon in cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said at least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff had been injured since the protests began more than a fortnight ago, describing the figures as «the heaviest toll in decades paid by the school system». The scale of the demonstrations and the intensity of the police response mark a significant escalation in a dispute that has now drawn in students, teachers and parents across the country.
Local media reported that barricades were ablaze in some areas and that protesters had been given an «endless supply of projectiles», while one hospital in the capital admitted a baby injured by a firework during the unrest. The clashes have spread to multiple cities, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to protest poor education conditions.
The campaign, which began more than two weeks ago, has focused on demands for improved high school conditions. The involvement of parents alongside pupils and teachers has broadened the movement beyond a traditional education dispute, giving it a wider social dimension that has tested the government's response.
The interior ministry has not yet released a full breakdown of arrests or injuries from the latest day of action, but the prime minister's figures indicate that the cumulative toll on the school system has been severe. The government has faced criticism over its handling of the protests, with opposition figures calling for a change of approach.
Schools in several regions have been blockaded, and the disruption has affected thousands of pupils preparing for examinations. Teachers' unions have warned that the unrest could continue unless their demands are addressed, while the government has appealed for calm and offered to open talks.
The protests represent one of the most significant challenges to the French education system in recent years, with the scale of participation and the intensity of the clashes raising questions about the government's ability to restore order. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the campaign escalates further or moves towards negotiation.