More than 400 detained as France student protests escalate

French authorities detained more than 400 people on Tuesday as widespread student protests over high school conditions and staffing shortages disrupted campuses across the nation and led to clashes with law enforcement.

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, 440 individuals, the majority of them minors, were taken into custody. In an interview with BFMTV, Nuñez noted that approximately two-thirds of those apprehensions resulted in formal police custody. The Ministry of Education reported that disruptions affected at least 400 schools nationwide.

The unrest led to dozens of casualties. Officials confirmed that 48 police officers, at least 10 teachers, and several demonstrators sustained injuries during Tuesday's disturbances. French media reported that officers deployed tear gas and batons after facing projectiles thrown by protesters, while footage from the demonstrations captured burning trash bins and vandalized bus stops.

The wave of action began last week in the Île-de-France region surrounding Paris before spreading to other areas. High school students have barricaded school entrances to draw attention to deteriorating learning environments, particularly a shortage of instructional staff and oversized classes. Speaking to the AFP news agency, a 16-year-old protester said students wanted to highlight that the educational infrastructure is failing, explaining that classrooms holding 34 students have left teachers exhausted.

Student representatives have criticized the state's handling of the unrest. Ryad Rani, head of the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, told AFP that the administration was engaging in repression and accused police of relying on excessive force. Several French politicians have also voiced concern over the law enforcement tactics. Nuñez defended the police operations, maintaining that the security response was conducted in an extremely proportionate manner.

Government leaders, meanwhile, have condemned the unrest while acknowledging the right to peaceful assembly. Education Minister Édouard Geffray wrote on social media platform X that while demonstrating remains a fundamental freedom, the outbreaks of violence are indefensible and endanger both staff and pupils. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had previously cautioned against intensifying the blockade movement following 164 arrests on Monday, asserting that acts of violence and fires near school grounds cannot be justified.

Tuesday's student mobilizations coincided with separate, broader public-sector labor strikes. Around 200,000 civil servants, healthcare professionals, and teachers walked off the job to push for better pay and improved workplace conditions. According to the interior minister, those trade union demonstrations concluded largely without major incident.