Violent protests involving high school students continued across France on Friday, with scenes of vandalism, fire-setting and teenagers confronting police, according to the Associated Press.
Officers charged crowds, fired tear gas and made further arrests. By early afternoon, the education ministry reported that protests were affecting 560 schools.
The demonstrations began in the Paris region last week and spread nationwide, including to smaller towns. Students have barricaded school gates and demonstrated with placards, while some wore masks and goggles against tear gas.
The students’ grievances include under-resourced schools, dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff. They also say school days, which often begin at 8 a.m., are too exhausting and that the university entrance system is too complex. Some university students joined the protests this week.
The government has said it respects the right to peaceful protest, while ordering police to clear demonstrations blocking access to schools and to stop violence and vandalism. Riot police have used tear gas and batons and made arrests. Police and school staff have also been targeted with fireworks and other projectiles.
The interior ministry said acid had been thrown in some cases and accused people intent on destruction and looting of joining the high school students’ movement. Police made more than 1,900 arrests on Thursday, when 305 officers were injured, the ministry said.
The protests and confrontations continued Friday, while unrest spread to neighbouring Belgium. About a dozen schools closed in Liège after violence in the city and six arrests the previous day.
The protests have become a major political issue during France’s presidential election campaign. President Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, condemned protest violence and political manipulation of young demonstrators. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon condemned police actions, while far-right leader Marine Le Pen called for broader police powers against rioters. Conservative former prime minister Édouard Philippe condemned people who damage property, set fires or assault others.
The Associated Press reports that the demonstrations also reflect broader concerns about France’s education system, including widening performance gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students and declining reading and mathematics scores. The government has set aside 65.5 billion euros for schools in its proposed budget for next year.
