Over 400 French schools and universities closed due to student protests.
Violent clashes with police led to around 2,000 total arrests.
Students are demanding to fix teacher shortages and decaying facilities.
More than 400 schools and colleges all over France remained closed on Friday, as student protests over education-related grievances continued in the country.
The protests that began in the Paris region last month against shortages of teachers and maintenance of school buildings have turned increasingly violent as they spread nationwide. Dozens of civilians have been injured, and hundreds have been arrested by the police.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin spoke on RTL radio on Friday, "There is an active and violent minority (participating in the protests) ... We're not entirely sure that they are even high-school students themselves." He further added that around 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began, with about two-thirds still placed in police custody.
Education minister Édouard Geffray has asked parents for their help in controlling the violence and protest. He also warned that “children are in danger on the streets,” according to the Guardian. "What matters now is ensuring our children are no longer out on the streets, because they are in danger," he said. He said that there can be some dialogue between the protesters and the government on Friday.
Clashes between the student protesters and police were reported on Friday in many cities across the country, including in Loire, where several officers were injured during the protest. Clashes were also reported from Paris. Students have also criticised what they see as a heavy-handed police response, according to DW
Reuters reported that, according to an anonymous source close to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, intelligence agencies have informed, in a crisis meeting held on Thursday, that the protest movement had been initiated by politicians from the hard left, including members of La France Insoumise (LFI). However, LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied any such claim in comments to French broadcasters.
Reason Behind The France Protest
Students are protesting for more teachers, replacement of absent teachers, greater resources and better learning conditions, the Union Syndicale Lycéenne stated. The complaints centre on crowded classrooms, shortages of education staff, inadequate school facilities and excessive teaching hours.
The Union Étudiante has broadened the demands to higher education. It says higher education students are also facing staff shortages, deteriorating facilities and increasing student insecurity. Earlier, the protests started among secondary-school students, but later on university students also joined the movement.
