More than 250,000 people took to the streets across France on Tuesday as students, teachers and parents joined nationwide demonstrations over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and deteriorating school facilities.
The Interior Ministry said more than 250,000 people took part in protests across dozens of cities, while organisers put the turnout at around 450,000.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse violent groups on the fringes of demonstrations in Paris, Strasbourg, Rennes and Toulouse. Several shops were also damaged during clashes in the capital.
The Interior Ministry said 488 people were arrested on Tuesday, while 48 security personnel were injured.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described the unrest as the most violent student demonstrations France had seen in decades. He said at least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff had been injured, while his office said more than 700 police officers had also been hurt.
The protests began in September in poorer suburbs of Paris before spreading nationwide, with students highlighting problems ranging from teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms to leaking buildings and rat infestations.
The High School Students Union said more than half of France’s high schools had been blockaded or closed for the day, while some local education authorities moved classes online.
The demonstrations have also drawn criticism over the handling of young protesters, with rights groups, students and parents accusing authorities of using disproportionate force against minors. The government, meanwhile, said the movement had been hijacked by outsiders and had deteriorated into urban violence in some areas.
A teenager also lost a hand during the unrest on Monday.
Lecornu has ordered ministers to address several of the students’ demands, including ensuring absent teachers are replaced, reviewing the length of the school day and considering longer lunch breaks.
The government will also examine repairs needed at ageing school buildings, with Lecornu asking ministers to submit their initial proposals by the end of October.
However, implementing the reforms could prove difficult as France faces pressure to reduce its widening budget deficit amid weak economic growth and rising borrowing costs.
The protests come as support for populist parties on both the far right and far left grows ahead of France’s presidential election next spring, adding further political pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the unrest, claiming the protests reflected uncontrolled migration and alleging that Islam was seeking to “take over” France. However, the students’ demands have focused on education issues rather than immigration or religion.
The demonstrations began against a backdrop of growing concerns over France’s education system, with education spending lagging inflation and French students recording weaker overall performance compared with their OECD peers in the latest PISA assessment.
