What happened
Widespread rioting by high school students and leftist groups has brought France's education system to a standstill. The unrest, which began over complaints about hot classrooms and missing teachers, has escalated into violent clashes with riot police, resulting in the shutdown of over 560 high schools.
According to government officials, nearly 1,000 schools were affected by the riots, with more than 160 forced to lock their doors entirely. The violence has spread from Parisian suburbs to major cities like Marseille, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, and Lille, and has even spilled across the border into Belgium.
Masked students and agitators have been using Molotov cocktails, torching entrance halls, and fighting with police. Firefighters have been battling blazes at several schools, including the Léonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard high schools in southern Paris.
Law enforcement officials have arrested around 2,000 agitators, with 90% of them being minors. Over 300 police officers have been injured, and at least 65 school staff members have been wounded. Roughly 170 students have also suffered injuries during the violent standoffs.
The French government has accused organized thugs of hijacking the riots, with Education Minister Édouard Geffray warning that the student body is being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has ordered prosecutors to make parents legally liable for the destruction caused by their children.
