Students light fire across French schools, 440 arrests and 48 police injuries
On Tuesday, as fire engines rushed down streets, the streets of France were lit up by smoke and the echo of chants as students locked themselves into schools, turning classes into protest sites.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said a total of 440 people were held by police, while 48 officers sustained injuries in clashes with the crowds. The protests began last week in Paris’s Île‑de‑France region but spread nationwide by Tuesday.
The demonstrations are a response to growing concerns over overcrowded classrooms, a chronic lack of teachers and broader budget cuts threatening the public education system. French schools saw a wave of blockades and set‑on fires, causing a nationwide disruption of 400 schools, the education ministry confirmed.
On the same day, public‑sector workers – including teachers and firefighters – marched to protest cutbacks on public spending. The parallel protests highlight a larger tension within French society over the future of public services.
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