France braces for mass protests as students and Yellow Vests rally against austerity

France faces nationwide protests as students, Yellow Vests, and others demonstrate against rising costs and austerity, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warning of potential violence. Authorities have announced a hard police response. The protests, sparked by student actions over teacher shortages and poor school buildings, have spread amid high energy and food prices. Police have opened 36 internal investigations into alleged violence against demonstrators, including injuries to minors. The movement follows the 2018 Yellow Vest protests, which forced the government to scrap fuel tax hikes. With presidential elections seven months away, parties are seeking to leverage the unrest, while France's high debt limits government response options.