French students protest nationwide, clashing with police

More than 250,000 students, educators, and parents took to the streets across 40 cities in France on Tuesday to demand better conditions in high schools, as clashes with police intensified.

Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse protesters in Paris and other cities after some demonstrations turned violent. France’s Interior Ministry estimated that about 256,000 people joined the marches, while organizers put the figure at 450,000.

Since mid-September, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked and more than 6,100 people arrested, nearly all of them minors.

What are they seeking?
Students are demanding more teachers, proper replacements for absent staff, and repairs to aging school buildings. They also want the government to review long school hours.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused police of using excessive force. The government says officers have generally responded proportionately.

The protests have now disrupted hundreds of schools across France and put further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government, which is already facing economic challenges ahead of next year’s presidential election.

Tough times
The protests are growing while France’s government tries to keep its budget deficit below 5% of GDP. It plans to increase education spending by 1.7% next year, but this is less than inflation.

French markets are under pressure as rising debt and political uncertainty weigh on investors. Ten-year bond yields rose above 5%, their highest since 2002, while stocks fell 5% over the past month.