France Schools Shut Down Amid Student Violence
French schools face chaos as student riots spread across the country, with violence reported in major cities.
2 min read
French schools are facing widespread disruption as student-led riots escalate across the country. What began as a protest over hot classrooms and missing teachers has turned into a full-blown crisis, with violence spreading from Parisian suburbs to major cities like Marseille, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, and Lille. The chaos has even spilled into Belgium, where teenagers targeted classrooms in Liège.
Violence and Damage Reported
Masked students and leftist agitators have turned school campuses into battlegrounds, hurling Molotov cocktails and torching entrance halls. In southern Paris, firefighters worked to put out flames that gutted the entrances of Léonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard high schools. In Nantes, the Lycée Nelson Mandela was set on fire after violent instigators ambushed school officials. In Marseille, a principal and his deputy were splashed with gas while mobbed by protesters.
The violence has led to significant damage, with over 100 campuses suffering severe structural harm. At least 170 students have been injured, and more than 300 law enforcement officers have been hurt. School staff, including 40 high school principals, have also been wounded, with some assaulted or harassed.
Government Response and Legal Actions
French officials have condemned the riots as being hijacked by organized thugs. Education Minister Édouard Geffray accused ultra-violent fringe groups of holding students hostage, warning parents of the dangers their children face. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that prosecutors will hold parents legally liable for the destruction caused by their children.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called an emergency meeting, ordering cabinet ministers to cancel travel plans. Government authorities have accused the radical-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, of orchestrating the violence, though LFI officials dismissed the claims as conspiracy theories.
As the situation continues to unfold, the impact on France’s education system remains severe, with over 560 high schools completely shut down or disrupted, according to AFP reports.
Source: Daily Wire
