Tear gas in Paris and Marseille as school protests grow across France
Protests by high-school students in France have escalated, leading to clashes with police and the use of tear gas in major cities. Demonstrators are demanding better school resources and protesting against police tactics, while the government accuses political factions of inciting chaos.
Why it matters
The unrest highlights growing social and educational tensions in France, with potential implications for the upcoming presidential election.
Figure caption, Watch: Riot police strike protesters and tear gas fills the air in Paris
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across France, as a wave of protests by high-school pupils spread to their parents, university students and unions.
Crowds of teenagers marched from the Place de la République in Paris, calling for more resources for schools, and what they called less repression from police.
Police clashed with demonstrators in Lyon, used tear gas in Paris and Marseille and water cannon in Rennes, but there was little of the serious trouble that marred previous protests.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the earlier violence and said since the protests had begun 215 students and 85 staff had been hurt as well as 715 police officers.
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