France Suspends Classes at 528 Schools as 250,000 Join Student Protests
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 8
France Suspends Classes at 528 Schools as 250,000 Join Student Protests
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 8
Summary
528 schools across France totally or partly suspended classes on Wednesday as students kept up a second day of mass protests this week, with demonstrators again gathering outside schools in at least two cities.
250,000 people marched in dozens of cities on Tuesday, according to the Interior Ministry, while student unions claimed far more support and said protests would continue until demands on school conditions and admissions were met.
Poor infrastructure, overcrowding, teacher shortages, underfunding and opposition to state-run university admissions platforms are driving the movement, which has spread for weeks nationwide.
Hundreds have been injured and thousands arrested—most of them minors—as some rallies turned violent; officials say at least 24 schools were ransacked or burned and riot-police tactics have drawn criticism from rights groups.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said regular classes would be fully suspended on Thursday and Friday for in-school discussions, as the unrest adds pressure on the government before next year's presidential election.