Education Minister Édouard Geffray warned that roughly 400–500 French high schools could be fully or partly closed on Monday because security conditions are not met. He said 24 schools have been burned or ransacked and 78 education staff injured since protests began in Paris on September 17. Authorities report more than 5,000 arrests (about 85% minors), while organisers call for continued demonstrations and critics accuse police of heavy-handed tactics. A 59-year-old teacher in La Ciotat was allegedly doused with gasoline and attacked; a 16-year-old has been detained in connection with the incident.
Up to 500 French High Schools Could Close Monday as Nationwide Pupil Protests Continue
The protests have shaken France (FRED TANNEAU)
Up to 400–500 high schools (lycées) across France could be fully or partially closed on Monday as widespread student protests continue to disrupt classes, Education Minister Édouard Geffray said.
Geffray told reporters on Sunday that lessons would be "totally or partly suspended" in roughly "400-500" lycées because security conditions "have not been fulfilled." He added that 24 schools had been "burned or ransacked" since the movement began on September 17 in Paris.
The demonstrations, led by high school pupils, focus on complaints that their education is suffering because of high teacher absenteeism, excessively long school days, dilapidated facilities and other concerns. Organisers say the government has not offered concrete measures to address those grievances.
Escalation and Safety Concerns
What began at a Paris school on September 17 has grown into nationwide protests marked in some places by clashes between pupils and security forces. Police have at times used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds.
"There are activists — particularly from the far-left — who have infiltrated the high school student movement, hijacked it from the students themselves, and engaged in extreme violence," Geffray said, accusing outside groups of exploiting the demonstrations.
Geffray said the unrest posed a clear risk to staff and pupils, reporting that 78 education staff had been wounded — "something we have never seen before" — and alleging some were "deliberately targeted" because of their roles in the national education system. These characterizations are the minister's account of the incidents.
Arrests, Allegations and an Assault
Authorities say more than 5,000 people have been arrested since the movement began, and that 85% of those detained were minors. Critics, however, have accused police of using heavy-handed tactics in their response to the unrest.
In a widely shared video, a 59-year-old teacher in the southern town of La Ciotat appears to be doused with a flammable liquid and struck on the sidelines of a protest. Police on Sunday detained a 16-year-old in connection with the assault; investigations are ongoing.
Geffray said the number of affected schools on Monday would be comparable to the figure reported on Friday, but he promised a "partial, progressive return to lessons" where security conditions allow.
Organisers have urged protesters to continue actions on Tuesday, maintaining pressure on the government to present concrete steps to address students' demands.
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