Hundreds arrested as French student protests about overcrowded classrooms turn violent

Hundreds arrested as French student protests about overcrowded classrooms turn violent Protests have been gaining momentum over the past days, as pupils decry overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in More than 400 people were detained in France on Tuesday as nationwide student protests turned violent after young people blockaded dozens of schools over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. Police used tear gas and batons in clashes with protesters, while some of the young demonstrators set fire to rubbish containers and set off fireworks outside schools across the country. Interior minister Laurent Nunez told BFM TV that 440 people had been detained nationwide. A total of 48 police officers have been injured during the riots, and there were seven instances of hydrochloric acid being thrown at police, he said. “There is nothing that justifies showing up at institutions to demonstrate, masked, with your face disguised, carrying projectiles, and waiting for the intervention of law enforcement just to go after them,” he said. The education ministry said that 400 schools were affected by protests or disruptions on Tuesday, building on protests that began in Paris last week. At a school in the capital on Tuesday, around 80 students gathered outside the Lamartine school with placards lamenting they were having “more hours of lessons than sleep”, working from 8am until 6pm. A placard reading “Macron explosion” was displayed outside the Arago school in Paris, where students, some with their faces covered, sat on dumpsters to block the entrance. A banner in front of the Helene-Boucher school said “Fewer cops, More money”. "We want fewer police because we think there is a huge amount of police repression, both against high school student movements and social movements more generally," said Mael Breton, a final-year student at the Helene-Boucher school. "This is a real problem, especially when there is such a lack of funding ... here at our school and in the national education system more broadly." The Education Ministry said more than 330 high schools - a little under 1 in 10 - were affected, French media reported. Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned protests at high schools on Monday as irresponsible, but acknowledged that the “difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed”. The demonstrations came as unions planned a day of nationwide strikes over Mr Lecornu’s budget. Marches took place in Paris and other cities, with one in ten teachers reportedly on strike nationwide. Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, gave the government 48 hours to reverse planned spending cuts in its draft budget before deciding on further strike action. “This summer, who was on the front line? It wasn't the billionaires, the big bosses or the shareholders. It was civil servants and working people. And how are they being thanked? By cutting their pay? The anger is enormous,” she told BFMTV. The government proposes freezing the base salaries of state employees in 2027 in a bid to save €2 billion in spending — the fourth consecutive annual freeze and the eighth during Macron's presidency, trade unions say. Unions argue the freezes have resulted in a double-digit loss of purchasing power. Lecornu said this month the government planned a €54 billion savings drive in the budget. France's economy will grow less than expected this year, complicating efforts to stop the fiscal deficit spiralling out of control. Seven months before the election, and just two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of President Emmanuel Macron and his centre-right-leaning government. Professional firefighters, who say a lack of resources was laid bare during this summer's huge wildfires, were among those taking part in protest marches during the day. Just over 11% of teachers and other school staff took part in the strike, the Education Ministry said. French teachers are paid less on average than colleagues in other European countries. Fewer than 1 in 10 took part on average among other civil servants — and fewer again in hospitals — with losing a day's pay likely a factor in the low turnout. The French civil aviation regulator earlier warned of disruption to flights at some airports due to the strike. The government has already unveiled measures to help households cope with a spike in energy prices driven by the war with Iran, but it has failed to quell the discontent with Macron and his government. Hard-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon accused the government of a steady dismantling of public services as he addressed protesters in Paris, urging his supporters to mobilise against the government's draft budget plans. A Toluna Harris opinion poll on Monday showed Melenchon and far-right National Rally chief Marine Le Pen qualifying for next year's presidential election runoff, with Le Pen seen best placed to win. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments