Fires have broken out at several schools in France, as student protests by blockading education institutions nationwide over school funding and studying conditions.
Blazes were reported at two high schools in Nantes, western France, while another was filmed engulfing the entrance to a school in the northern city of Rouen.
Students are protesting about a lack of teachers and staff, overcrowded classrooms and run‑down buildings. University students joined the demonstrations on Thursday, citing similar demands.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting on Thursday to discuss the unrest; the government later described the protests as “urban violence.”
Both fires in Nantes spread after a bin was set alight. The blaze at Nelson Mandela High School in the city centre then spread to the front of the building, damaging the entrance hall.
In Marseille, staff at Victor Hugo High School were splashed with petrol as protesters reportedly filled containers. In the north, a headteacher at Degrugillier High School in Auchel was injured in the ear by a wayward firework.
The blockades began last week before spreading to hundreds of schools across the country. French media reported 625 people were arrested on Wednesday alone, while 83 police officers were injured; by midday Thursday more than 600 arrests had been made, excluding Paris.
At least 30 universities have also reportedly been blockaded, including campuses in Rennes and Paris. Public transport services in Marseille and Strasbourg were halted on Thursday because of vandalism and to inhibit protest movement.
Seventeen‑year‑old Raphaël told AFP that his school’s facilities were in disrepair and that the building was “falling apart.” He expressed frustration over leaking rooms, inadequate toilets and a cramped cafeteria, calling for zero budget and more supervisors.
The protests have become heavily politicised, with the government and hard‑right politicians blaming the left for “professional rioters” linked to La France Insoumise. Meanwhile, LFI leader Jean‑Luc Mélenchon defended a peaceful protest approach but urged that blame on the left would not solve the issues.
Hard‑right candidate Marine Le Pen called for a new anti‑riot law, while left‑wing mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan condemned the violence but acknowledged the youths’ legitimate concerns. Republican mayor Eric Ciotti demanded that parents of those who damaged school property pay for repairs.
