Arabic version: احتجاجات المدارس الفرنسية تشعل حرائق وتؤدي إلى اعتقالات

According to BBC News, fires broke out at several French schools as students blockaded education institutions nationwide over school funding and studying conditions. The protests began last week at lycées and spread to hundreds of schools, while university students joined demonstrations on Thursday.

Blazes were reported at two high schools in Nantes, western France, and another fire was filmed at the entrance of a school in Rouen. At Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes, a bin fire spread to the front of the building and damaged the entrance hall. In Marseille, staff at Victor Hugo high school were splashed with petrol as protesters reportedly filled containers.

Students have cited a lack of teachers and staff, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings. In Strasbourg, 17-year-old Raphael said some rooms at his school had leaks and there were not enough toilets. “The building is falling apart, the cafeteria is too small. There’s zero budget, zero resources, not enough supervisors,” he told AFP.

The interior ministry said 1,949 people were arrested on Thursday and 305 police officers were injured. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting to discuss the unrest, after which the government said the student-led demonstrations had descended into “urban violence”. At least 30 universities were reportedly blockaded, including campuses in Rennes and Paris, while public transport in Marseille and Strasbourg was halted on Thursday because of vandalism, threats of violence and efforts to hinder protesters’ movement.

The protests have also become heavily politicised. Marine Le Pen called for a new anti-rioting law, while Marseille mayor Benoît Payan condemned “unacceptable violence” and said young people should express their concerns calmly. Jean-Luc Mélenchon said he supported non-violent protests and argued that blaming the left would not address the issues driving the demonstrations.