Student protests across France took a violent turn this week, with teachers splashed with petrol, schools set on fire and hundreds of people arrested amid growing unrest.
At Victor Hugo High School in Marseille, two teachers were inadvertently splashed with petrol when a student attempted to throw gasoline into a trash bin, according to Reuters. Earlier, the local prosecutor’s office had described the teachers as having been assaulted and doused in petrol.
The incident was part of a wider wave of protests that has spread across France. Students have been demonstrating over issues including teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings.
The unrest has gone far beyond school blockades. In Marseille, protesters forced firefighters to flee a fire truck before setting it alight. A school in Nantes was also set on fire, while another school in Le Havre suffered fire damage.
Authorities have reported dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests since the demonstrations began.
Reuters reported that more than 1,000 people had been arrested over two days by Sept. 30, with most of those detained being minors.
The protests have now spread to hundreds of schools. On Friday, Reuters reported that around 400 high schools were closed as clashes between students and riot police continued in several cities.
Authorities said about 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began.
French officials have urged schools to move classes online when blockades or damage make it unsafe for students and staff to attend in person.
The demonstrations began over concerns about conditions in France’s education system but have increasingly been marked by fires, clashes and property damage, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to contain the unrest.