In France on Tuesday, 440 people were detained during protests by school students at lycées, mostly minors. According to the authorities, at least 10 teachers, several students, and 48 law enforcement officers were injured in the actions, and the protests affected at least 400 schools.
In Lille on Tuesday, a blocking action took place outside one of the secondary schools, and the Ministry of Education said that the protests affected at least 400 schools across the country.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told BFMTV that 440 people had been detained and added that about two-thirds of them were placed in custody.
According to the authorities, at least 10 teachers, several students, and 48 law enforcement officers were injured during the actions.
French media reported that some participants threw objects at police, after which officers used batons and tear gas; videos showed burning trash bins and damaged bus stops.
According to the authorities, the lycéen movement began last week in the Île-de-France region around Paris because of overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers, and on Monday Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called further escalation irresponsible after 164 arrests.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray wrote on X that the right to protest is a fundamental freedom, but described reports of violence as unacceptable. The president of the French Lycée Students' Union, Riad Rani, which represents students, accused the authorities of repression and the police of excessive use of force.
On Tuesday, the school protests coincided with nationwide strikes by teachers' unions, healthcare workers, and civil servants against low pay and working conditions, and Nuñez said that at least 200,000 people took part and that they mostly passed without incident.
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