Paris: More than a quarter of a million people took to the streets across France on Tuesday as high school students, teachers, educators and trade unions protested over education funding, with police using tear gas during clashes in Paris and other cities.
The demonstrations marked a major escalation of protests that began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September and have since spread nationwide, putting further pressure on the administration of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.
The Interior Ministry estimated that 266,000 people joined demonstrations across France, including 56,000 in Paris. Large crowds carrying flags and placards gathered in cities including Marseille, Strasbourg, and Lyon, while students blockaded several high schools.
In Paris, a largely peaceful march ended with small groups of protesters clashing with riot police. Officers deployed tear gas and blocked streets as tensions rose. Similar clashes were reported in Lyon and Strasbourg.
The Interior Ministry said nearly 500 people were detained on Tuesday. The ministry said 6,100 people had been arrested since the protests began, with the overwhelming majority being minors. The Justice Ministry said more than 1,800 people were being prosecuted, including 1,483 minors, without specifying the offences.
The widespread use of arrests and riot-control measures against young protesters has fuelled anger among some parents and teachers. Some student groups have called for further demonstrations on Thursday.
The protests focus on demands for increased education funding and improvements to understaffed, ageing schools.
“We need to listen to them,” said Léa Monimart, an adult demonstrator in Lille. “They are 17 years old; they are not completely clueless, and they know what they are talking about. It's important to show that there are adults who support them.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the police response, saying it had been proportionate in “almost all cases” and that officers had intervened when demonstrations turned into riots.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government and school leaders needed to listen to students and find solutions. Speaking in parliament, he condemned what he called “ultra violence” around schools and said any alleged police “accidents” would be investigated. He also rejected allegations that police had acted in a racist manner, calling them a “lie”.
The growing movement is the latest in a series of protests to challenge Macron's government, with students now emerging as a prominent force in demonstrations over France's public education system.
