France Student Unrest Escalates: Over 400 Schools Closed Friday, Nearly 2,000 Arrested Thursday

Full report

Education Minister Édouard Geffray told broadcaster France 2 on Thursday evening that "a little over 400" schools and other educational establishments would remain closed on Friday, with remote classes ordered where buildings were damaged or blockaded. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure banned gatherings outside 13 closed schools in the capital.

Interior Ministry figures show that on Thursday, 1,027 lycées were affected nationwide and 222 blockaded, with 1,949 arrests (up from 625 the day before) and 305 police officers and gendarmes injured. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said Friday that about 2,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, roughly two-thirds placed in police custody; 119 pupils and staff have been injured.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting on Thursday; his office, citing intelligence services, said the violence had been organized by the hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party and its proxies. LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard accused the government of sinking into "conspiracism," and LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied the claims. The education minister had earlier said the student movement had been "held hostage by violent groups."

Background

The protests began in the Paris region over teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and crumbling buildings, then spread nationwide and turned increasingly violent: on Thursday at least two high schools were set on fire, a teacher in Marseille was splashed with petrol, a car was torched in Strasbourg, and riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse.