French riot police used tear gas to disperse crowds in Paris and other cities Tuesday as more than 266,000 people joined nationwide demonstrations in support of high school students demanding increased education funding, according to government figures.
The protests, which drew 56,000 people in Paris, added to pressure on the administration of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.
As students blockaded schools, demonstrators carrying flags and placards took to the streets in Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. The protests have expanded from a movement that began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September into a nationwide campaign, becoming the latest in a series of demonstrations during Macron's nearly decade-long tenure.
"We need to listen to them," said Léa Monimart, an adult demonstrator in Lille. "They are 17 years old; they are not completely clueless, and they know what they are talking about. It's important to show that there are adults who support them."
The Interior Ministry said 266,000 people demonstrated across France Tuesday, including 56,000 in Paris, where small groups clashed with riot police in a city square following an otherwise largely peaceful march.
Nearly 500 people were detained, the ministry said. The arrests, use of tear gas and other riot-control weapons against teenagers have intensified anger among some parents and teachers. Some student groups have called for further protests Thursday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the police response as proportionate in "almost all cases," saying some demonstrations had descended into riots and required police intervention.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government and school authorities must listen to students' concerns and work toward solutions.
Speaking in parliament Tuesday, Lecornu condemned what he called "ultra violence" targeting schools. Addressing criticism of police tactics, he said any "accidents" would be investigated and rejected allegations that police were racist as a "lie."
Class boycotts, arrests fuel tensions
More than two weeks of class boycotts and school blockades, along with a police crackdown that has resulted in more than 6,500 arrests, most involving minors, have become a major flashpoint during the early stages of the presidential election campaign.
University student Felix Barney called the police response disproportionate, saying it does not make "any sense to hit minors."
"Riot police, batons, rubber bullets, tear gas," said Aurélien Le Coq, a lawmaker from the far-left France Unbowed party, whose presidential candidate has strongly backed the protests.
"The violence is 'absolutely unbearable,'" Le Coq said.
Nuñez continued to defend police tactics despite a growing number of serious injuries attributed to riot-control weapons. In the latest incident, a 15-year-old boy lost a hand Monday in an incident involving a police stun grenade. Nuñez said 715 police officers had also been injured.
The student protests have gained broad public sympathy amid widespread dissatisfaction in France. Concerns range from soaring fuel prices linked to the Iran war to wider frustrations over limits on public spending, increasing poverty and wealth inequality under Macron, who cannot seek a third consecutive term.
Against this backdrop, students' complaints that inadequate education funding is putting their futures at risk have resonated with many people.
"You say 'young people are the future,' so listen to them," read a handwritten placard tied to a metal barrier outside a Paris school.
Ministry opens portal for student complaints
At Hélène Boucher high school in Paris' 20th district, protesters overturned trash cans and bicycles to form a makeshift barricade.
The school was among hundreds across France that remained closed. Authorities began closing schools last week in an effort to ease tensions following widespread damage to school property and rising injuries among students, staff and police.
According to the Education Ministry, classes were fully or partially suspended at 891 schools Tuesday.
Amid criticism that it was failing to address the protesters' concerns, the ministry launched an online portal allowing high school students to anonymously report problems they face at school and suggest changes they want to see.