France suspends classes at hundreds of high schools on Monday / 24 schools were set on fire or vandalized following the protests

France will suspend classes “totally or partially” on Monday in “400 to 500 high schools,” as the necessary security measures have not been ensured. The announcement was made Sunday by the Minister of National Education, Edouard Geffray, against the backdrop of high school students’ protests that have spread throughout the country.

According to the minister, 24 educational institutions were set on fire or vandalized during the demonstrations, while 78 education staff members have been injured since the mobilization began. Geffray specified that classes will resume gradually and, in some cases, only partially, depending on the situation at each institution.

The protests began on September 17 in the Paris region, with high schools being blocked, and subsequently spread to several French cities. The minister accused activists, particularly those from the far-left, of infiltrating the movement and contributing to the escalation of violence.

More than 1,700 people were detained on Friday, bringing the total to approximately 5,000 since the beginning of the week. Organizers called for the protests to continue on Tuesday, in the absence of concrete measures. High school students are demanding more resources for education, more teachers, the rehabilitation of buildings, and a reduction in the pressures associated with the Parcoursup procedure and the school schedule.