Arson, tear gas and clashes rock France on biggest day of school protests

France's school crisis spilled onto the streets Tuesday as thousands of students, teachers and parents joined the biggest day of demonstrations yet, demanding better-funded and better-maintained schools. Police fired tear gas in several cities after some demonstrators set fires and threw projectiles.

The nationwide action was the biggest day of demonstrations since the protests began in September. While many rallies remained peaceful, clashes broke out in Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes, where police moved against protesters. In Marseille and Nantes, demonstrators carried signs reading, "The state has killed national education", while parents in Toulouse linked arms at the front of a march through the city. Nationwide day of student protests in France. (Photo: Reuters)

"There is such a gap between the elites and us," Hugo Vetzel, a recent high-school graduate taking part in the protests in Strasbourg told news agency Reuters.

The protests began in Paris' poorer suburbs before spreading across the country, piling more pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government as it struggles with growing economic pressures.

The scale of Tuesday's mobilisation was disputed, with unions and the government providing different figures. The Union Syndicale Lyceenne (USL), one of the main groups organising the protests, said around 2,000 high schools had shut across France and claimed to have mobilised universities as well.

The education ministry, however, said classes had been suspended either fully or partially at 891 schools. The High School Students Union said more than half of France's high schools were either blockaded or expected to close for the day. Some local education authorities responded by moving classes online.

The grievances behind the protests range from leaking roofs and deteriorating classrooms to staff shortages and reports of rat infestations.

"We want more money for the national educational system so that high schools are renovated," said Roberta, another recent high-school graduate, at a protest outside Paris' prestigious Henri IV school.

She said schools were dealing with everything from leaking roofs to rat infestations.PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT IN SOME CITIES

The protests have largely been peaceful, but Tuesday also saw clashes in several cities. In Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes, protesters set fires in the streets and threw projectiles as police responded with tear gas.

The government has increasingly deployed riot police as the demonstrations have spread. Rights groups, students and parent organisations have accused authorities of using disproportionate force, particularly against minors. The scale of the confrontation has also been reflected in the number of people arrested since the movement began. Nationwide day of student protests in France. (Photo: Reuters)

France's interior ministry said 6,100 people had been arrested since September, with the overwhelming majority of them minors. The justice ministry said more than 1,800 people were being prosecuted, including 1,483 minors.

At least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have been injured in clashes, according to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office.

The violence took a particularly serious turn on Monday when a 15-year-old was badly injured during clashes with riot police in northern France. Regional newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the teenager lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police dispersal grenade.LECOURNU PROMISES ACTION

The government has responded to the protests by promising to address some of the demands raised by students and parents.

Lecornu has instructed ministers to work on measures including ensuring that absent teachers are replaced, reviewing the length of the school day -- currently running from 8 AM to 6 PM in some cases -- and examining calls for longer lunch breaks.

The government will also assess repairs needed in ageing school buildings. Lecornu has asked ministers to submit their first proposals by the end of October.

But for many parents, promises from the government are not enough.

At a protest outside the Helene Boucher school in Paris, parent Emilie Lhomme said the government's response would have to translate into changes inside classrooms.

"That's all fine and dandy, but that's not what's going to change the daily lives of our children," she said.'BURNING DOWN A HIGH SCHOOL WILL NOT FIX IT'

Lecornu has meanwhile drawn a line between legitimate demands over education and violence during the demonstrations. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, French Prime Minister said 215 students had been injured since the protests began.

He said the number of injuries among education workers was the highest recorded in decades and condemned what he described as the "trivialisation" of violence.

"Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings. Lynching a teacher does not help replace teachers," he said, adding that it was a "lie" to suggest the government had ordered "police repression" against demonstrators.MACRON GOVERNMENT'S MONEY PROBLEM

Even if the government accepts the protesters' demands, finding the money to deliver major improvements could prove difficult.

The French government is already under pressure to rein in its growing budget deficit, while investors are increasingly worried about the country’s rising debt, sluggish economy and limited appetite for spending cuts.

French borrowing costs have risen sharply, with the yield on 10-year government bonds briefly crossing 5 per cent last week, reaching a 24-year high.

The strain is also being felt across the wider euro area, with the weakening euro adding to concerns among policymakers. Finance Minister Roland Lescure said Tuesday that he saw no need for the European Central Bank to step in.

The political stakes are also rising. With six months to go before an election to replace Macron, his government and Marine Le Pen's National Rally have accused lawmakers and mayors from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) of encouraging the protests. LFI has denied the accusation.

Le Pen, who is leading the presidential race ahead of next spring's election, has separately outlined plans to reduce public spending as she seeks to establish her fiscal credentials amid the worsening pressure on France's finances.

The French government now has to prove that its response can match the scale of the frustration on the streets. With schools demanding repairs, students demanding better conditions and public anger spilling into clashes, Lecornu has little room for delay. The question is whether his government can deliver before the protests become a major crisis.- EndsWith inputs from Reuters