French school protests turn violent as far-left groups infiltrate and police use rubber bullets

A 16-year-old student, Mael, was hit in the eye by a police rubber bullet during a protest outside Tours' Lycée Balzac, prompting graffiti demanding justice. Authorities said hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, with 266,000 protesters nationwide and 56,000 in Paris, while 891 high schools were blocked or disrupted and up to 500 were shut by officials. Police reported nearly 800 gendarmes and 85 teachers injured, 6,500 protesters arrested, and 18 investigations opened into police conduct, including a suspension of a new stun grenade after a 15-year-old lost a hand in Lens.

Far-left activists from Révolution Permanente and its wing Le Poing Levé claim to be steering the movement, rejecting government dialogue and calling for broader blockades. Politicians on both the right and left have blamed each other for the escalation, linking the unrest to broader political tensions ahead of the upcoming presidential election.