Nearly 400 schools and other educational institutions in France will remain closed on Friday due to growing student protests, which have escalated into violence in a number of places. Students are demanding more teachers, better funding and repairs to outdated school infrastructure, News.bg reports.
The protests began in the Paris region and quickly spread to different parts of the country. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, 1,949 people were arrested on Thursday, while the Ministry of Justice reported 1,793 people placed under police custody since the beginning of the week.
In some places, the demonstrations have been accompanied by serious incidents. Schools were set on fire, clashes with police and property was damaged. Various acts of violence and public order violations were recorded in Marseille, Strasbourg and Toulouse. According to Education Minister Edouard Joffre, 170 students and 65 education system employees have been injured since the protests began.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said the protests had already been accompanied by actions that he said constituted public order violations. He said about 2,000 people had been taken into police custody since the movement began, with about 90% of them minors.
In parallel, political accusations have emerged about the origin and organization of the protests. According to a source quoted by “Reuters“, French intelligence services stated in a crisis meeting that representatives of the far left, including members of “France Insubordinate“ (LFI), are behind the growth of the movement. The party rejects these claims.
The French government has announced that some of the closed schools will switch to distance learning. The education minister is due to meet with representatives of student organizations, parents and unions to discuss the protesters' demands.
The wave of protests has already spread beyond France. In the Belgian city of Liege, students also blocked several schools, with local authorities reporting tension and material damage.