French police fired tear gas at protesters blockading high schools as tens of thousands of students and activists took to the streets across the country, building a growing wave of opposition demanding that the government improve the education system.
The protests began two weeks ago in disadvantaged suburbs of Paris before spreading nationwide. The government says the movement has turned into urban violence and has deployed riot police at several gatherings.
On Tuesday morning, students in Marseille, Nantes and Lyon began marches, carrying signs with slogans such as "they really don't care about us" and "survive or study." In Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes, protests at times turned violent as police fired tear gas, protesters lit fires in the streets and threw objects.
A day earlier, a 15-year-old boy had his hand blown off in clashes between high school students and police in northern France. The government said around 200 to 250 protesters threw objects at police. French newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the teenager lost his hand and part of his forearm after picking up a police grenade during the protest.
According to the High School Students' Union, nearly 2,000 high schools were blockaded or closed during the day.
"When the answer is violence, it means democracy is no longer working," said Hugo Vetzel, a recent high school graduate in Strasbourg preparing to enter France's top universities. "There is too big a gap between the elite and us."
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed ministers to address students' demands, including replacing underqualified teachers, extending lunch breaks and changing the length of the school day. Lecornu also said the government would consider renovating ageing campuses and asked ministers to submit proposals before the end of October.
France's Interior Ministry said 6,100 people have been arrested since the protests began, most of them under 18. The Justice Ministry announced that more than 1,800 people will be prosecuted, including 1,483 minors.
According to Lecornu, at least 215 teenagers and 715 police officers have been injured during the protests.
