In brief
Spanish-influenced French schools were swept by a wave of protests that led to over 400 arrests and 48 injured police officers. Students were demanding relief from overcrowded classes and a shortage of teachers, with 400 schools nationwide reporting disruptions. The demonstrations, which began last week in the Île‑de‑France region, coincided with a nationwide strike by public‑sector workers over planned budget cuts. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the scale of the crackdown, while the education ministry reported widespread disruption. The nationwide outcry highlights a growing frustration with the country’s decaying public education system.
More than four hundred people, most of them minors, were detained in France on Tuesday amid a surge of school protests that shut down hundreds of schools across the country.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez told BFMTV that 440 individuals were held and that 48 law enforcement officers suffered injuries during the clashes.
Students are rallying in response to the persistent problem of overcrowded classrooms and an acute shortage of teachers. The French education ministry reported that 400 schools were affected by demonstrations or disruptions on Tuesday alone.
The movement began last week in the Île‑de‑France region surrounding Paris, where students staged blockades and fires at lycée facilities.
The protests took place on the same day that teachers, firefighters and other public‑sector workers staged demonstrations against planned budget cuts in France.