Hundreds of French high schools shut as new violence erupts

Hundreds of French high schools closed nationwide on Friday as a student protest movement intensified, resulting in students lighting fires outside institutions and facing off with police. The demonstrations, which originated last week in the Paris region before spreading rapidly across the country, show no immediate signs of abating.

The student-led movement is driven by grievances regarding school conditions and structure. Participants are protesting excessively long school hours, inadequate facilities that include overheated classrooms, and high levels of staff absences within the education system.