What is the toll from the detentions and injuries?

School protests in France spread from the area around the capital, Paris, to other regions on Monday, with security forces detaining 164 people. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said it would be irresponsible to allow violence around high schools to escalate and stressed that students, school staff and police must not be put at risk.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Monday that 12 security officers, 12 students and three school staff members were injured. Nuñez also said 180 schools had been affected by the protests, but gave no details about those detained.

Which regions did the protests spread to?

The movement in French high schools began last week in the Île-de-France region around Paris. Authorities said there had been acts of vandalism in some locations and that fireworks had been thrown at police, before the protests spread to other parts of the country.

According to AFP, the entrances to four high schools were blocked in the southern regions of Alpes-Maritimes and Var. Protests were also reported in Marseille, around Lille in the north and in Sedan, in the northeastern Ardennes region.

Why are students protesting?

The demonstrations are driven by problems such as overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and a lack of staff in schools. The student group Union Syndicale Lycéenne defended the protests as a legitimate response to current conditions.

Key issues highlighted by the student union

  • Teacher and school staff shortages
  • Run-down school buildings
  • Heavy timetables and overcrowded classes
  • Application stress linked to Parcoursup

The union said these problems were not inevitable, but the result of a lack of resources in the education system. Students also called for renewed school blockades on Tuesday to defend their rights and oppose budget cuts.

On the same day, unions representing teachers, hospital workers and public employees also called for strike action over low pay and working conditions.

How are the political debate and investigations unfolding?

Lecornu said the difficulties in high schools needed to be heard and addressed, while stressing that violence must be clearly condemned and those responsible held to account. The prime minister also alleged that the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party had encouraged students to broaden the movement.

LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the government of ordering a heavy-handed response to the protests. Nuñez responded that masked individuals had confronted security forces with fireworks and various objects, arguing that the scenes resembled urban unrest more than a standard demonstration.

Since the protests began, several incidents of violence between students and police have been reported. According to BFMTV, in one incident a police officer fired a crowd-control grenade round and injured a high school student; the broadcaster said an investigation had been opened into the incident.