Hundreds of high schools closed in France as student protests escalate - Sarmad

Around 400 high schools across France were closed today due to student protests that have been ongoing for a week, during which dozens of staff members were injured and police arrested approximately 2,000 people, according to officials.

The protests began last week in the Paris region before rapidly spreading across the country, where final-year high school students blocked school entrances and clashed with police.

Students say that school hours are excessively long and that conditions in schools are inadequate, including high temperatures in classrooms, as well as frequent staff shortages.

The government acknowledges that these complaints are legitimate but rejects acts of violence.

French Education Minister Edouard Philippe stated that “the high school student movement has become hostage to small, highly violent groups,” adding that around 400 of the country’s 3,700 high schools were expected to close on Friday.

Many high schools plan to switch to remote learning, particularly in the southern city of Marseille.

Speaking to BFMTV, Philippe said that at least 65 staff members had been injured since the protests began, including 40 high school principals.

He added, “Parents must clearly take responsibility and tell their children not to go to the demonstrations.”

He continued, “The most important thing now is to ensure that our children do not remain in the streets, as they are at risk.”

For his part, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said he had asked public prosecutors to hold parents accountable for damages caused by their children during the protests and to compel them “to pay for repairs.”

Darmanin told RTL radio that around 2,000 people had been taken into police custody since the protests began, “90 percent of whom are minors.”