French students expand school protests, set fires and block campuses, spill into Belgium

Protests over deteriorating school conditions intensified on Thursday as high-school students across France ignited trash bins, built blockades and clashed with police, prompting the detention of hundreds of demonstrators. University students joined the movement, sealing off roughly 30 campuses, while a security source tallied about 900 related incidents and more than 160 schools closed in major cities such as Paris and Marseille.

Injuries were reported among several school principals and a student in Tours suffered a head wound from a non-lethal rubber bullet. The unrest spread to the Belgian city of Liege, where a handful of schools experienced damage. Authorities opened three IGPN investigations into the injuries, and the government, alongside Marine Le Pen, accused the France Unbowed party of incitement, a claim rejected by its presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who urged non-violent tactics. The protests highlight deep frustrations with overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and aging infrastructure.