"Kill her": Student protests in France descended into chaos and fire in the streets – thousands arrested
High school student protests in France have escalated into widespread chaos: over 5,000 arrested, hundreds of police officers injured, and schools set on fire. The events included violent attacks, arson, and fireworks fired at police. The police lost control of the protest, and the government is preparing for another nationwide demonstration. The backdrop is a budgetary and political crisis ahead of the presidential elections.
High school student protests in France have escalated into widespread chaos, with over 5,000 arrests, hundreds of police officers injured, and schools set on fire. The violent incidents included an attack on a plainclothes police officer in Lyon, a 15-year-old boy arrested in Marseille on suspicion of attacking a woman with flammable spray, and fire spreading from torched vehicles to a school in Metz. Media also reported fireworks and mortars being fired at police and the torching of public infrastructure. Paris Police Chief Patrice Fort warned that the protest had slipped out of the organizers' control and called on parents to prevent their children from being drawn in by "professional rioters." Authorities fear another nationwide protest planned for Tuesday. The backdrop is a budgetary and political crisis: the government is planning an education budget seen as insufficient, while France approaches the 2027 presidential elections. Bruno Retailleau, leader of the Republicans, called for examining a ban on the activities of the "France Unbowed" party, and the Justice Minister demanded action against parents of minors who caused damage.