France detains 625 as student protests over school conditions spread nationwide

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France detains 625 as student protests over school conditions spread nationwide
French students block hundreds of schools nationwide in protests over conditions, clash with police
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French student protests over school conditions and reforms escalated sharply on Wednesday, with authorities detaining 625 people and reporting 83 injured police officers and gendarmes as demonstrations spread nationwide. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the "escalation of violence," citing blockades at 356 schools, projectile-throwing, and attempted arson. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said 119 students and staff had been injured since the unrest began last week, with clashes reported in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Lille, where police deployed tear gas.
The movement, initially concentrated in the Île-de-France region, has expanded as students demand teacher replacements, better resources, and improved schedules. "We don’t condone vandalism; we came to defend our rights because we have horrendous schedules, we work 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and that’s not right," Juan, a student from Lille’s blockaded Montbello high school, told AFP.
Student leaders called for a second wave of protests on Thursday, urging broader mobilization. Ryad Rani, president of the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, and Eloïse Lefebvre-Milon, secretary-general of the second-largest student union, demanded "massive funding for lycées and universities" and invited all unions to join demonstrations on Thursday and Oct. 6. The Unef student union also urged action against university budget cuts.
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Madrid, accused hard-left politicians of "legitimizing violence." The government announced a "consultation platform" for students to voice grievances, but protests continued to disrupt classes across the country .
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