Fire and Arrests Shake France: Student Protests Surround Macron Government

The French government is facing the worst crisis the country has seen in months, after being surprised by widespread protests led by high school students across the nation, following the deterioration of educational conditions. Hundreds of schools were closed or besieged, and hundreds of young people were arrested, amid indications that the protest movement will continue next week, according to "The Guardian".

In northeastern Paris, dozens of students sat on piles of garbage containers used to block the entrance of "Lycée Voltaire", while Sofia, aged 17, was at the front of the barricade instead of attending her Spanish class.

The student, who is preparing for the Baccalaureate exam and requested not to publish her real name, said she hopes the protests will turn into a broad youth movement, adding that students want the government to listen to them, and that standing in front of the school is better for them than studying under poor conditions.

Protesters raised banners reading "Education is a right, not a privilege", while Sofia listed the students' demands, including lack of government investment in education, overcrowded classrooms with up to 40 students, deteriorating buildings, low teacher salaries, staff shortages, inequality in the education system, and the impact of social background on success opportunities.

Demands also include the difficulty and ambiguity of the electronic university application system, and climate conditions inside classrooms during the heat waves France experienced in May and June.

Sofia said the education budget is being cut, at a time when additional funds are allocated to the military, expressing hope that demonstrations and school closures will continue next week. Several teachers stood alongside the barricades in support of the students.

According to "CNBC", these disturbances exacerbate the major political headache facing the government, which is preparing to begin difficult budget negotiations amidst division and economic turmoil.

Student unions stated that the education system suffers from underfunding and neglect, while entrances to hundreds of high schools were closed on Friday, and hundreds of youths were arrested as the movement threatened to continue.

Students described conditions inside their schools as difficult, pointing to parts of ceilings collapsing during classes, water leaks, cockroach infestations, building deterioration, long school days, and a shortage of teachers.

The government acknowledged that student complaints are legitimate but condemned what it called "urban violence". Students accused the police of using excessive force and causing injuries by repeatedly firing tear gas canisters to disperse protesters.

In Paris, a fire on Friday damaged the entrances of "Leonardo da Vinci" school in the south of the city and "Gaston Bachelard" school in the southeast.

Several students were injured during the protests, while the Ministry of Education announced that 65 education sector workers were injured, including 40 school principals. An investigation is underway after a 14-year-old student in the "Val-d'Oise" region suffered serious mouth and jaw injuries, after police were accused of beating him and firing rubber bullets at him. His family's lawyer said the boy thought he would "die".

Outside "Lycée Voltaire", riot police spread out on Friday, while hundreds of students continued a peaceful protest. A student named Yves, 17, said the demonstrators were "completely peaceful", and that he had his parents' support to participate in closing the school instead of attending history class, explaining that he wants to study culinary arts next year.

Yves noted that the atmosphere at the barricade was generally calm, but said that people from outside the school tried to set things on fire; this prompted students to move the garbage containers to prevent it.

On Friday morning, loud explosions sounded after some people fired fireworks shells from a distance from the school. Yves said he heard explosions every two minutes the previous day, describing the situation as frightening, especially when projectiles are fired horizontally rather than into the air, adding that some people tried to provoke the police and clash with them, but confirmed they were not students from his school.

Another student, Camille, 18, who wants to become a teacher, said students are also protesting what they consider the French government's indifference to weak results in international education rankings. He added that France performs poorly despite having some of the longest school days, confirming that the problem, in his view, relates to the quality of education rather than the number of teaching hours.

In the east of the capital, students gathered in front of "Lycée Hélène Boucher", singing songs and raising banners showing solidarity with Gaza residents, along with banners against far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls.

Sophian, 19, a literature student, said students fear the government will cancel subsidized meals costing one euro for needy students, and reduce housing aid. He added that students are also protesting study conditions during heat waves, noting that they took exams in temperatures ranging between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius, conditions even teachers described as impossible.

Sophian said the protests are likely to continue, adding that young people want to study and learn in suitable conditions, and that the French state seems surprised by the deterioration of school results but does not do enough to address the problem.