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High school students continued protests Friday in France and Belgium over education conditions, with 735 French schools affected by the mobilization and dozens detained in Belgium as clashes between demonstrators and police intensified.
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray confirmed the figure after meeting student unions in Paris, adding that the number of affected schools was down 30% from Thursday. France has around 3,700 schools.
Belgian protests spread across several cities, with dozens detained amid clashes and property damage. In Liege, police detained 18 people in Herstal after intervening against "threatening and violent individuals," while 500 to 600 demonstrators passed several schools, according to authorities.
The protests, which began in the Paris region in September and spread nationwide, have centered on demands for better learning conditions, more funding for schools and additional staff. Students have also raised concerns about long school hours, overheated classrooms and staff shortages.
Geffray announced that the government would launch a plan next week to speed up the replacement of absent teachers, while a separate initiative on democracy in high schools would begin Friday evening.
Three education staff members were injured during Friday’s protests, compared with 31 on Thursday, Geffray said. Since the movement began, at least 65 staff members, including 40 high school principals, have been injured, while 170 students have also been wounded.
More than 100 high schools have suffered severe damage, according to the education minister. Violence has accompanied the protests in several cities, with police using tear gas as demonstrators throw projectiles and set fires.
In Strasbourg, tensions rose early Friday after protesters moved toward a University of Strasbourg campus following clashes with law enforcement. Mortar fireworks were heard and a fire was started using gasoline, while police dispersed crowds with tear gas after projectiles were thrown.
BFMTV reported that around a dozen people dressed in black were among the protesters, while high school and university students were also present.
In Paris, firefighters put out fires at the entrances of several schools. Police in the Loire region arrested several people carrying dangerous objects, including a firework stick and a glass-breaking hammer.
In the Aude region, protesters set rubbish bins on fire and threw projectiles, leading to seven arrests for possessing explosive products and throwing objects.
The Ile-de-France region reported at midday that 55 high schools were affected by violence, clashes or damage, including three that suffered major fires.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez condemned an attack on an off-duty police officer in Belfort, where a group of youths surrounded and kicked the officer until he lost consciousness.
Nunez described the incident as extremely violent and intolerable, while an investigation was opened on suspicion of attempted murder.
More than 300 police officers and gendarmes have been injured during the unrest, according to Nunez. Around 2,000 people have been taken into police custody, 90% of them minors, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
The police have also opened internal investigations following accusations of brutality against demonstrators. Government officials have accused violent groups of taking over what began as a student movement focused on education.
Geffray described the movement as having "changed in nature" and being "hijacked by violent groups." He also warned that students were putting themselves at risk by remaining on the streets.
The government has also accused the far-left France Unbowed party, known by its French initials LFI, of being behind the protests. Senior LFI official Manuel Bompard rejected the claim and accused the government of "descending into conspiracy theories."
Top government officials held an emergency meeting Thursday and characterized the unrest as "urban violence" rather than simply a series of school blockades, according to BFMTV.
Student groups and unions have called for the movement to continue, with new rallies planned for Oct. 6. Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union, argued that students were still waiting for concrete measures from the government.
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