French authorities have arrested about 600 people as nationwide high school protests continued on Friday, with unrest disrupting 564 schools and educational establishments and leaving several police officers and school officials injured.
The demonstrations, which have intensified throughout the week, have been marked by clashes between protesters and riot police, attacks on public officials and extensive damage to educational facilities. The French Interior Ministry reported the latest arrests as authorities struggled to contain the unrest, which has spread across several cities.
One of the most serious incidents occurred in Belfort, northeastern France, where a police officer in plain clothes was violently attacked by a group of young people near Courbet secondary school at approximately 9:15 a.m. local time.
According to Belfort prosecutor Paul-Édouard Lallois, the attack followed the arrest of a young man by another police officer who was off duty. The plainclothes officer was subsequently surrounded by a group of youths, knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked, particularly around the head.
Police reinforcements intervened to disperse the attackers and assist the injured officer, who briefly lost consciousness and sustained several facial injuries. He was taken to hospital, although authorities later indicated that his condition was no longer considered seriously concerning.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into suspected attempted murder of a public official. A 17-year-old student from the school was arrested shortly after the incident, although investigators have not established whether he directly participated in the assault.
French Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez condemned the attack, describing footage of the incident as exceptionally violent and “unbearable.”
“Everything will be done to identify the perpetrators of this despicable act. Total support for the police officers and gendarmes who are intervening in difficult conditions.”
Laurent Nuñez
He added that the officer had been deliberately targeted and expressed relief that his condition was no longer a cause for serious concern, while extending his thoughts to the injured officer.
The attack has further heightened concerns about the deteriorating security situation surrounding the demonstrations, which have increasingly involved violent confrontations and attacks on public infrastructure.
The protests have also caused extensive damage to educational institutions. According to the latest figures from France’s Education Ministry, approximately 100 schools have sustained severe damage, while 40 headteachers have been injured since the demonstrations intensified.
Around 400 schools remained closed today as authorities continued to assess the disruption and respond to fresh incidents. Reports of unrest emerged near Jean-Rostand High School in Strasbourg and Simone-Veil High School in Marseille, indicating that tensions remained elevated despite the arrests and deployment of riot police.
The demonstrations were initially driven by students’ grievances over conditions in the education system, including overcrowded classrooms, excessive timetables, teacher shortages and high indoor temperatures during earlier heatwaves. However, the growing scale of the unrest has increasingly shifted attention towards public safety, the protection of educational facilities and the government’s response to the protests.
Nearly 3,000 lycée students, generally aged between 15 and 18, have been detained since the demonstrations began, according to the Interior Ministry. Of these, 1,949 were arrested on Thursday alone, highlighting the rapid escalation of the unrest.
The authorities are also considering measures to hold families financially accountable for damage caused by minors. Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin urged local prosecutors during a meeting on Thursday night to pursue civil liability claims against parents whose children are responsible for damaging property.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray has also appealed to parents to help prevent further violence, warning that “children are in danger on the streets.”
Meanwhile, the financial consequences of the demonstrations are becoming increasingly apparent. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has reported damage estimated at €25 million, while the overall cost of repairing damaged schools and other public infrastructure is expected to reach hundreds of millions of euros.
School Protests Leave Hundreds of Millions Of Euros In Damage
The escalating protests have inflicted extensive damage on France’s education system, with approximately 100 schools severely affected and repair costs expected to reach hundreds of millions of euros.
The Education Ministry has reported that 40 headteachers have been injured during the unrest, while hundreds of educational establishments have experienced varying degrees of disruption.
The damage has been particularly significant in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, which has estimated losses at €25 million. The figure highlights the financial consequences of the demonstrations, with damage to school buildings and other public infrastructure expected to place additional pressure on public finances.
Beyond the financial losses, the protests have disrupted teaching and raised concerns about the safety of students and school staff. The grievances that initially brought students onto the streets include overcrowded classrooms, excessive timetables, insufficient teaching staff and uncomfortable classroom temperatures during earlier heatwaves.
However, the demonstrations have increasingly been accompanied by vandalism, confrontations with police and attacks on public officials, prompting the deployment of riot police in several areas.
With fresh incidents reported in Strasbourg and Marseille and hundreds of schools still affected, the authorities face the challenge of restoring normal educational activities while addressing the underlying grievances driving the protests.
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