400 French schools closed following nationwide student protests
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- Justice Minister reported that around two-thirds of the approximately 2,000 individuals arrested since the wave of protests began.
- The student-led demonstrations have rapidly expanded to major cities across France.
More than 400 high schools and educational facilities across France remained closed on Friday as student demonstrations over severe learning conditions spread from the Paris region to cities nationwide.
French Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed during a Thursday night appearance on broadcaster France 2 that "a little over 400 schools and other educational establishments" would not open.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin disclosed on RTL radio that out of approximately 2,000 individuals arrested since the wave of protests began, roughly two-thirds have been formally placed in police custody.
The protests, which began in late September in the Île-de-France region before expanding across the country, stem from pupil grievances over heavy scheduling, overcrowded classrooms, acute teacher shortages, and unmanageable heat inside school buildings during the recent summer heatwave, according to AFP.
