Hundreds of high schools across France were fully or partially disrupted Monday as student protests over deteriorating education conditions continued, one day before a new nationwide mobilization called by student organizations and supported by several trade unions.
The Education Ministry said 413 establishments were affected by actions or disruptions Monday, including schools that had been closed.
The ministry said 40% of the establishments disrupted Monday had not been affected previously. Education Minister Edouard Geffray had said Sunday that classes would be totally or partially suspended in between 400 and 500 of France's roughly 3,700 high schools where security conditions could not be guaranteed.
The protests, which began at a school in the Paris region late September, have spread nationwide. Students have been protesting against teacher shortages and high rates of teacher absenteeism, overcrowded classrooms, poor school facilities and long school days. They have also raised concerns about inequalities associated with the Parcoursup university admissions platform.
Students in working-class suburbs have described the movement as a demand for equality, dignity and decent conditions for studying.
Sociologist Eric Fassin, a professor at Paris VIII University, told France 24 that he saw the student protests primarily as a demand for equality, dignity and recognition, with students seeking the basic conditions needed to study and have the same opportunities as students elsewhere.
The protests have also been marked by violent incidents and clashes with security forces. According to the Education Ministry, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since the beginning of the movement.
More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the beginning of the movement; about 85% of them are minors.
In Belfort, eastern France, footage showing young people beating and kicking a police officer on the ground caused an outcry among officials.
Two Bulgarian nationals, aged 15 and 17, were arrested and investigated for suspected aggravated violence. One of them, whom the officer had attempted to arrest before the assault, subsequently filed a complaint alleging attempted murder through his lawyer.
The government's response has come under criticism from rights groups. Amnesty International's French branch accused police of using disproportionate violence and said students should be able to express their grievances without fear of being subjected to tear gas, batons or arbitrary detention.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez rejected that criticism, saying security forces were not cracking down on young people but were protecting students who wished to express their demands peacefully.
Minister Geffray has said that activists, particularly from the far left, had infiltrated the student movement, "hijacked" it and engaged in extreme violence.
The government has announced measures aimed at addressing some of the students' demands. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed local authorities to prioritize filling vacancies caused by long-term absences and unfilled posts. He has also scheduled a meeting with regional presidents to discuss the renovation of school buildings.
The organizers, however, have called for the protests to continue Tuesday, saying that the government has yet to propose concrete measures.
The CGT trade union has announced its participation in Tuesday's mobilization and said it would stand alongside the students. Several education unions have also called for participation. The Socialist Party has likewise called on its supporters to join the demonstrations.
The movement has also reached higher education. Higher Education and Research Minister Philippe Baptiste said he feared a national escalation involving universities and students.
He said between 30 and 40 higher education sites would be disrupted on Monday, either through blockades or administrative closures. Several university sites in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille were closed, and classes moved online.
Meanwhile, France's Senate is due to vote on Oct. 27 on a proposed law that would require protesters to pay for damage caused during demonstrations.
Under the proposal, an individual could be required to pay for damage without proof that they personally caused it, with the fine capped at 10,000 euros ($11,199).