France's student protests over school underfunding spread nationwide

Student protests over education underfunding and staff shortages have spread across France since late September, with school blockades turning violent and thousands arrested.

• Students have staged protests and blocked high schools across France since late September over education underfunding and staff shortages.
• Official estimates record about 5,000 arrests and more than 1,000 injuries among students, teachers, and police during the unrest.
• Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said security forces are not under orders to confront students, only to enforce the law.
• US President Donald Trump attributed the protests to excessive immigration and Islam's desire to dominate France, saying the issue is not about schools.
• The protests began on September 17 at Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil over staff absences and have since spread to hundreds of schools.
• The movement is self-organized by high schoolers without centralized leadership.
• Education Minister Édouard Geffray promised urgent measures to address teacher absences, improve the Parcoursup platform, and upgrade school buildings.
• The number of closed schools fell 30% from the previous day to 224 fully and 151 partially shut on Thursday.
• Unions called for wider demonstrations seven months before the presidential election.
• Students vowed to continue the 10-day movement, blocking schools and marching in Paris, Lille, and Marseille on Thursday.
• Student leaders rejected the education minister's emergency plan as lacking concrete measures, with some demanding €10bn in urgent investment.
• French politicians Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon weighed in on the nationwide protest movement.