French school protests enter third week as police fire tear gas, PM orders action plan

Thousands of high school students across France have resumed protests over education funding, entering a third week as police deployed tear gas.

• Police fired tear gas in Paris and used water cannons in Rennes to disperse crowds gathered across multiple cities.
• Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced an emergency plan to provide substitutes for absent teachers and review class schedules.
• Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the violence and ordered ministers to deliver an action plan by the end of the month.
• Interior Ministry reported 6,600 arrests, most of minors, while protest leaders called for a new demonstration on October 17.
• Riyad Rani, a 19-year-old student union leader from Roubaix, has become the movement's spokesperson in talks with the government.
• Rani told Al Jazeera that students face political repression and negotiations will not compromise on their demands.
• An estimated 450,000 demonstrators have taken part in the nationwide protests over the past three weeks.
• Protesters are demanding President Macron's resignation and condemning police violence after a student's arm was severed by a security projectile.
• Government figures list 215 students, 89 teachers, and 761 police injured since the movement began on September 28.
• French unions and student federations are preparing a major joint demonstration to be held next week.
• The government's 2027 budget plan targets cutting the deficit to 5% of GDP from 5.4%.
• Economist Camille al-Sari said teacher posts were cut without replacing retirees, leaving some students without classes.