Up to 500 schools across France will be partially or totally closed on Monday following clashes between riot police and student protesters in recent days, according to French Education Minister Édouard Geffray. He stated that lessons will be 'totally or partly suspended' in some '400 to 500' high schools due to unmet security conditions. Geffray reported that 24 schools had been 'burned or ransacked' since the protests began.
Thousands of students have been demonstrating over education standards, with protests spreading from Paris to cities including Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille. High school students have raised concerns about a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and deteriorating school facilities.
On Friday, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin noted that 735 of France's 3,700 schools had been affected 'one way or another' by the violent protests. Geffray warned that the number of schools potentially affected on Monday could be similar to Friday's figures but assured a 'partial, progressive return to lessons.'
Geffray claimed that 'there are activists - particularly from the far-left - who have infiltrated the high school student movement, hijacked it from the students themselves, and engaged in extreme violence,' which he said poses risks to staff and students. He added that 78 education staff members had been wounded, describing it as 'something we have never seen before.'
On Friday, 1,747 people were arrested, according to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Since the start of the movement, over 5,000 people have been arrested, with around 85% being minors.
Organizers of the protests have called for demonstrations to continue on Tuesday, accusing the government of a lack of 'concrete measures.' On Sunday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that the government is taking further steps to 'address the difficulties faced by high school students and educational staff,' which includes ensuring classes continue, improving facilities, better organizing school days, and making the French university admissions platform more transparent. Lecornu also mentioned that the government is accelerating the review of its 'vandal-pays' bill to ensure that those responsible for damage bear the costs of their actions.