France high school protests leave 8 education staff injured
At least eight education staff members were injured in France on Monday amid high school student protests, as school closures declined but violence intensified, the Education Ministry said, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
The ministry said 96.5% of schools remained open, with 130 establishments closed on Monday, down from 172 on Friday. Protests affected 27 departments nationwide, compared with 33 on Friday, while 74 departments reported no complete school closures.
Although fewer schools were closed, the ministry said violence had intensified, particularly in the Créteil education district and in Bordeaux and Lyon.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged students’ right to express their views and discuss their future but condemned the violence, calling it “unacceptable.” He stressed that protests should take place “calmly and in an orderly manner,” adding that progress required “order and respect.”
In Rennes, blockades affected around 10 high schools. Fires and urban violence outside several schools prompted police and firefighters to intervene, the regional prefecture said.
CGT trade union leader Sophie Binet rejected claims that students were being politically manipulated. She said their anger reflected deeper concerns, including deteriorating study conditions and problems with the Parcoursup university admissions platform.
The figures exclude a principal and a teacher injured in a shooting at a school in Aubagne, southern France. A 14-year-old student was arrested, and the incident was unrelated to the protests.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that thousands of French students continued protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school facilities as the government pledged to deploy 3,000 substitute teachers and unions called for further demonstrations.