Jon Henley in Paris

Police have fired teargas at ⁠protesters as more than 250,000 pupils, teachers and parents demonstrated across France on the biggest day yet of a campaign for better high school conditions that has been marred by often violent clashes with police.

The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said at least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff had been injured since the protests began more than a fortnight ago, calling the figures “the heaviest ⁠toll in decades paid by the school system”.

The country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called key ministers to the Élysée Palace for talks on Tuesday night, French media reported. The interior ministry said 200,000 people had taken part in mainly peaceful marches in cities including Marseille, Nantes ⁠and Lyon on Tuesday, with 56,000 more joining the biggest demonstration in Paris. Organisers put the total at 450,000.

Most passed off without serious incident, but some – including in Paris – ended in sporadic vandalism and running skirmishes with riot police, with officers firing teargas and carrying out baton charges to disperse protesters.

Nearly 500 people were arrested on Tuesday, according to figures from the Interior Ministry reported by newspaper Liberation. The ministry also said 43 police officers were injured.

Trade unions and rights groups have accused the police of using unnecessary force against the young protesters in recent days, with Amnesty International saying French authorities should “put an end to the disproportionate police repression”….

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/protests-schools-blockade-streets-france

+++++++++