Riot police clash with French protesters on biggest day of nationwide student demonstrations
Reuters Photo.
High-school blockades and protests are taking place across France as students and unions demand that the cash-strapped government fix understaffed and dilapidated schools.
Tuesday's nationwide protests come after a fortnight of demonstrations which began in the deprived suburbs of Paris before spreading across the country, sometimes turning violent.
The government has been responding by deploying riot police, leading to mass arrests and clashes resulting in injuries to protesters, police officers and school staff.
The unrest has piled more pressure on a government seeking to narrow a ballooning budget deficit six months before an election to replace President Emmanuel Macron.
Reuters photo.
French borrowing costs have surged in recent days to levels not seen since the early 2000s.
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen outlined her plans to cut government spending, seeking to establish her fiscal credibility.
What do the students want
The protests began in Paris' poorer suburbs before spreading to the capital and other cities, including Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours and Lille.
Students blockading high schools have voiced anger over overcrowded classrooms, regular teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed his ministers to tackle the students' core demands, including replacing absent teachers, reviewing the heavy 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. school day and allowing longer lunch breaks.
Lecornu has also said the government would look at repairs needed on ageing school buildings.
