More than 400 students, most of them under 18, were detained across France on Tuesday as school protests reach a boiling point, the Interior Minister said.
Teenagers have been blocking high‑school gates for days, demanding relief from overcrowded classrooms and a rash of teacher shortages.
At least 10 teachers and several pupils were injured, and police used batons and tear gas after protesters hurled projectiles.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray called the violence “indefensible” but affirmed students’ right to protest.
“We’re here to deliver a message,” a 16‑year‑old student told AFP. “We’re not here to smash everything up for no reason. We’re here to say the education system is broken. Thirty‑four of us sit in each class and it’s simply not doable.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said roughly 440 people were detained, with two‑thirds taken into police custody, while law‑enforcement figures listed 48 officers injured.
The agitation coincided with nationwide walk‑outs by teachers, hospital staff and civil servants demanding better pay and working conditions.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lécornu warned that any escalation with the protests would be “irresponsible” after the arrest of 164 demonstrators early on Monday.
