More than 300 police hurt as French school protests turn violent, minister says
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 2,000 people were arrested in France on Thursday as student protests over school conditions escalated into arson and clashes.
More than 300 police officers were injured in France on Thursday as student protests over school conditions escalated into arson attacks and street clashes, interior minister Laurent Nuñez said. Nuñez said 1,949 people were arrested during the day, most on charges of insulting public officials, violence against police or unlawful assembly. He condemned what he called "unchecked violence" against officers.
Rioters set fire to the Nelson Mandela secondary school in Nantes and the Albert Camus secondary school in Nîmes, according to HLN. Deputy mayor Olivier Chateau said the Nantes fire was brought under control and no one was hurt there, Nezavisne Novine reported.
In Marseille, a crowd looted and set fire to a fire engine that had arrived to tackle a blaze at a school, prosecutors said. At another Marseille school, pupils doused the director in petrol and beat him, according to the prosecutor's office; his condition has not been made public.
A day earlier, French media had reported 625 arrests and 83 injured police officers nationwide, figures overtaken by Thursday's toll, according to Iltalehti and Nezavisne Novine. Protests in the lycées, which began last week over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and crumbling buildings, have since spread to hundreds of schools and about 30 university campuses, including in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Reims and Poitiers, according to Vijesti and Nezavisne Novine.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting with ministers on Thursday, and his government said the student-led demonstrations had turned into "urban violence," according to Vijesti. France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has opened three investigations into injuries suffered by minors during the blockades, HLN reported.
Pays de la Loire regional council president Christelle Morançais condemned the violence on social media, saying rioters "only intend to sow destruction." National Rally leader Marine Le Pen called for a new law against rioting, while La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denied his party was inciting the unrest, according to Nezavisne Novine. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence but said grievances over conditions in secondary schools needed to be addressed.
What we know
- Official · interior minister Laurent Nuñez More than 300 police officers were hurt and 1,949 people were arrested in France on Thursday, interior minister Laurent Nuñez said.
- 2+ outlets · De Standaard, Nezavisne novine, Kommersant, HLN, MINA News, Vijesti, Iltalehti, Rioters set fire to schools in Nantes and Nîmes; a fire engine was torched in Marseille.
- Official · prosecutors A school director in Marseille was doused in petrol and beaten, prosecutors said.
- Official · PM Sébastien Lecornu PM Sébastien Lecornu held crisis talks; his government called the unrest "urban violence."
- 2+ outlets · De Standaard, HLN Protests that began over teacher shortages and crumbling school buildings have spread to hundreds of schools and about 30 university campuses.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed A video circulating on social media appeared to show a school entrance on fire in Rouen; this has not been independently confirmed.
- Unconfirmed The exact number of students injured nationwide has not been confirmed.
How each fact is established: Official stated by an official body: police, ministry, emergency service, army, operator or court2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reported, but not confirmedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The unrest is one of the largest disruptions to French schools in years, with hundreds of secondary schools and about 30 university campuses blockaded since protests began last week, according to Nezavisne Novine and Vijesti. It has already crossed the border: students at several schools in Liège, Belgium, staged a spontaneous solidarity protest, HLN reported.
The scale of the arrests and injuries puts pressure on Lecornu's government, which is also facing criticism from both the far right and far left over how to respond, and has drawn in the police watchdog IGPN over the treatment of minors during the blockades.
Sources
Reported by 9 reports from 9 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- De Standaard: Scholierenprotest escaleert in Frankrijk: brand gesticht aan scholen, directeur aangevallen en overgoten met benzine
- Nezavisne novine: Neredi u Francuskoj: Zapaljene škole, direktora polili benzinom (VIDEO)
- Kommersant: Во Франции школьные протесты переросли в массовые беспорядки
- HLN: Meer dan 300 agenten gewond na zwaar scholierenprotest in Frankrijk, relschoppers stichten brand in scholen
- MINA News: Protesti đaka i studenata u Francuskoj, neredi na ulicama
Intelligence file
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Questions and answers
- How many police officers were injured in the French school protests?
- Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 300 police officers were hurt on Thursday, up from 83 reported injured the day before.
- Why are French students protesting?
- Students say they are protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated school buildings; university students later joined with similar demands.
- Has the French government responded?
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting with ministers, and officials have asked blocked schools to move lessons online.
This article was written with AI assistance from 8 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.