France: 400 schools closed as student protests continue
57 minutes ago
Over 400 schools and colleges across France remained closed on Friday as student protests over education-related grievances continued — with some turning violent.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray told reporters that 735 teaching establishments were "affected" in some way on Friday, "30% fewer than yesterday."
He said that three emergency services personnel had been injured responding, again an improvement on "31 yesterday," and condemned occasional "acts of extreme violence" among the wider protest movement.
The protests against teacher shortages, dilapidated school buildings and a lack of learning materials erupted at lycées (equivalent to US high schools) in the Paris region last month before spreading across the country this week.
Government ministers tried to strike a balance between empathetic messages to frustrated youth with presidential elections looming, and clear calls for calm in their public messaging.
"Calm must urgently return to high schools and universities," Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said online. "Yes, the right to demonstrate is inalienable. But the violence is inexcusable, and the cynical instrumentalization of youth for political ends is irresponsible."
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