Fires break out at French schools as students protest nationwide

Seventeen-year-old Raphael joined a demonstration outside a school in Strasbourg, where protesters placed barriers to block nearby tram tracks. In an interview with AFP, he described deteriorating conditions at his school, noting leaking rooms and insufficient toilet facilities. He summed up his frustration with the exact words: “The gathering is falling apart, the cafeteria is excessively small. There's zero budget, zero resources, not capable supervisors,” Raphael said. The nation’s forthcoming election remains months off, yet the protests and the government’s reaction have already become deeply politicized. Officials and hard‑right figures accuse the far left of sparking the unrest, which is being coordinated by a national body representing lycéen students. Bally Bagayoko, a politician from a Parisian suburb and member of the far‑left La France Insoumise (LFI), defended earlier comments in which he said unit could be legitimate in some cases - referencing cases in which protesters had allegedly been changeable at portion not wearing helmets or bulletproof vests. Meanwhile, LFI figure and presidential hopeful Jean‑Luc Mélenchon insisted he backs non‑violent action, arguing that assigning blame to the left will not address the grievances fuelling the marches. Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard‑right National Rally, declared: “This is no longer about high school pupil protests. It is about riots organized by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise.” She urged legislators to adopt a new anti‑riot statute. Local reactions varied. Marseille’s Benoît Payan denounced the “unacceptable violence” that erupted in his city, while acknowledging that young demonstrators are “legitimately concerned” about their future and public services, stressing they must express themselves peacefully. Nice‑based Republican Eric Ciotti contended that parents of those found responsible for damaging school property should be compelled to cover repair costs.