What began as student grievances over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages has become a national emergency in France.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed late Thursday that "a little over 400 schools and other educational establishments" will be shuttered Friday, with classes shifting online. The protests began in the Paris region last month and have since spread nationwide, turning increasingly destructive.
Thursday's violence was the worst yet. Students ignited fires in at least two high schools in Marseille, where two teachers were splashed with petrol. A car was torched in Strasbourg. Riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse, Lille, Nantes, and Le Havre. The Interior Ministry reported 1,949 arrests on Thursday alone, with 284 police officers and gendarmes injured, alongside 65 education staff and 170 students.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting Thursday, where intelligence agencies alleged the protests were instigated by hard-left politicians, including members of La France Insoumise — a claim LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called for a "firm penal response" and wants parents held civilly liable for children who vandalize.
Authorities say the unrest has disrupted 1,027 educational institutions, with 222 access blockades reported. Geffray is due to meet pupil representatives on Friday.