French school protests turn violent, PM calls crisis meeting

What happened

The French government says student protests over school conditions have turned into "urban violence". Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting of ministers on Thursday and told them to cancel upcoming travel so they can focus on the unrest, his office said.

The protests began last week in the Paris region and have spread nationwide. Students say there are too few teachers and staff, classrooms are overcrowded, buildings are run down and heatwave temperatures are unbearable. Police said more than 160 high schools were shut down on Thursday, and access to about 30 university campuses was blocked, including in Paris and Marseille.

The interior ministry says 1,949 students were detained on Thursday alone, and nearly 3,000 since the protests began. It says more than 300 police officers have been injured, along with dozens of firefighters, teachers and pupils. Police say bins were set alight outside many schools, and arson attempts were reported inside some buildings.

In Nantes, fires at two high schools spread from burning bins. Authorities say damage at one school is so extensive it will stay closed for a month. In Marseille, police say a crowd surrounded a fire truck at one school, forced the firefighters out and set the vehicle alight. At another Marseille school, staff were splashed with petrol. Local authorities say a student was trying to throw petrol into a bin, while the prosecutor's office earlier said staff had been assaulted and doused.

Tram services in Strasbourg were suspended after students blocked the tracks with barriers. The regional prefect says it was to restrict the movements of rioters and demonstrators. Services were also halted in Marseille.

Lecornu's office says the violence makes it virtually impossible to maintain the continuity of public education and puts staff and students in danger. The government says many schools will move to online classes. Education Minister Édouard Geffray is due to meet staff unions, parent and student groups on Friday.

The unrest has become highly political. The government accuses the radical left party La France Insoumise of encouraging the protests. Its candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon says the party backs non-violent protest and that his biggest worry is police violence against young people. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen calls the events riots and wants a new anti-rioting law. Marseille's mayor Benoît Payan condemns the violence but says young people are legitimately worried about public services.

Key facts

• Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting on Thursday and told ministers to cancel travel.
• The interior ministry says 1,949 students were detained on Thursday and nearly 3,000 since the protests began.
• More than 160 high schools were shut down and about 30 university campuses blocked, police and a student union say.
• More than 300 police officers and dozens of firefighters, teachers and pupils have been injured, according to the interior ministry.
• The Education Minister meets unions and parent and student groups on Friday.

What you need to know

• The government says many schools will switch to online classes.
• Tram services were suspended in Strasbourg and public transport was halted in Marseille on Thursday.
• A school in Nantes will stay closed for a month after fire damage, authorities say.

What happens next

Education Minister Édouard Geffray is due to meet staff unions and parent and student associations on Friday. The government says it is moving many schools online while it deals with the unrest.

Still to be confirmed

• The exact number of protests and blockades under way. Police figures of about 340 by mid-morning and about 900 later on Thursday were reported at different points.
• The full circumstances of the Marseille petrol incident, where accounts differ on whether staff were deliberately targeted.
• The outcome of the internal police investigation into brutality allegations involving three students.
• How many schools will move online, and for how long.