by: Olivia-Anne Cleary and Callum Sutherland | Time.com
The scenes unfolded after Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL) and Union Étudiante (UE) called for the blockade of high schools and universities nationwide. The groups urged “all trade union and political organizations to support our mobilization which extends beyond the walls of our institutions.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament that the protests amounted to “the heaviest toll in decades paid by the school system.” He said at least 215 teenagers and 85 educational staff had been injured in clashes. More than 700 police officers had incurred injuries.
France’s Interior Ministry said around 6,100 people had been arrested since the protests began roughly two weeks ago.
“Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings,” said Lecornu, referring to the reported violence as “unacceptable.”
Joanna, a university student who attended high school in a Parisian suburb, told the BBC that the police response has been “really aggressive.” She said high school pupils have been throwing objects on fire, but insisted “if they don’t do that, they are not heard.” TIME has reached out to the Interior Ministry for comment.