France’s student stir intensifies in Paris; schools shut, police fire tear gas

What began as a nationwide student movement over education funding and poor school conditions has escalated into clashes in the French capital. Students barricaded a high school in northeastern Paris on Thursday, as police fired tear gas as protests showed few signs of easing.The Hélène Boucher high school became the latest flashpoint in the unrest as students used rubbish bins to block its entrance and riot police gathered in nearby streets. The confrontation came as hundreds of high school and university students took to the streets in Paris, with a major demonstration planned from Place de la République towards Place de la Bastille.The latest escalation came after days of disruption across France. More than 6,600 people have been arrested since late September, when mostly under-18 students began protesting over education funding and conditions in schools, according to the Interior Ministry.