Riot police clash with students as education protests rage in France
Violent protests over education standards have spread across France, leading to hundreds of school blockades and thousands of arrests. The government has characterized the unrest as a public order disturbance, noting that the movement has been infiltrated by non-students.
Why it matters
The escalation of student protests into widespread civil unrest poses a significant challenge to the French government's authority and its management of public education infrastructure.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, A fire blazes in the street as protesting students carry out a blockade in Brest
Riot police have clashed with protesters as thousands of students demonstrating over education standards disrupted more than 700 schools in France.
Fires have burned in the streets as high school pupils and others objected to a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 1,747 people were arrested on Friday.
The protests began last week in the capital Paris and have spread across the country, with cities including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille affected.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said things had "gone from high-school student demonstrations to a public order disturbance".
School protests send shivers down French government's spine
Published 15 hours ago Darmanin said that 735 of France's 3,700 schools were now affected "one way or another" by the violent protests.
Also covering this story
11 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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