Student protests over France’s education system have grown into nationwide demonstrations, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets and unions joining the movement.
The protests, which began among high school students, are now spreading to parents, university students and trade unions, with demonstrations reported in several cities across France.
Students are calling for more resources for schools and better learning conditions, while also raising concerns over what they describe as excessive police action.
In Paris, teenagers marched from Place de la République, while police clashed with demonstrators in Lyon. Tear gas was used in Paris and Marseille, and water cannon were deployed in Rennes.
Authorities say there was less serious violence compared with previous protests.
The French Government says 891 high schools were disrupted on Tuesday, almost a quarter of all high schools in the country.
The Government estimates more than 250,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide, while student unions put the figure at around 450,000 and said about 1,800 schools were blockaded.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has condemned the violence, saying 215 students and 85 staff members have been injured since the protests began, along with 715 police officers.
There are also concerns over alleged disproportionate use of force by police, with France’s police inspectorate investigating several incidents.
In one case, a 14-year-old student in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône suffered a fractured jaw and serious dental injuries after being struck by a tear-gas grenade.
In another incident in Lens, northern France, a 15-year-old lost a hand after an anti-encirclement grenade exploded during a confrontation near a school.
Authorities say the student picked up the grenade, while students allege he was hit directly after it was fired by a police officer.
The protests began in mid-September over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings in Seine-Saint-Denis, north-east of Paris.
The movement has since spread across France and into some universities.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray has called for dialogue and urged students to avoid school blockades, while saying violent groups had infiltrated some student protests.
The Government has announced measures including a website for students to raise concerns and an afternoon of discussions in schools, but the measures have so far failed to end the demonstrations.
Further protests involving school and university students are planned for tomorrow.
Source: BBC News
