France Detains 164 as High School Protests Escalate; Dozens Injured

PARIS — French authorities said at least 164 people were detained Monday as protests at high schools across the country escalated, with dozens injured and about 180 schools affected. Students are demanding better resources and more teaching staff.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the disruption was concentrated mainly in the Créteil and Versailles districts around Paris, but also reached cities including Lille, Lyon, Grenoble and Nice. Preliminary figures showed 12 members of the security forces had been injured Monday, he said. Citing the education minister, Nuñez also reported that eight teaching staff members — including three headteachers — and a dozen pupils had been injured.

“These were not demands; very often, it was simply violence in its purest form,” Nuñez said. He added that police were investigating allegations of violence by officials.

Nuñez said students blockaded 27 schools Monday and attempted to blockade another 50.

The protests began Friday, with pupils protesting an array of grievances, including a lack of resources and teaching staff, overcrowded classrooms and heavy timetables. The unrest comes amid broader pressure on the French government over public services, and a nationwide strike by public-sector workers is already scheduled for Tuesday.

The demonstrations are expected to continue Tuesday, raising the prospect of another day of disruption in schools and beyond.