France to close up to 500 high schools Monday after student protest clashes

France will close up to 500 high schools on Monday due to student protests, with lessons "totally or partly suspended" after clashes between riot police and demonstrators, Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced Sunday. Geffray cited unfulfilled security conditions for the closures, noting 24 schools had been "burned or ransacked" since protests began. Thousands of students have demonstrated over education standards, with unrest spreading from Paris to cities including Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 735 of France's 3,700 schools affected by violence, with 78 education staff wounded. Geffray blamed far-left activists for infiltrating the movement, while organizers plan further demonstrations Tuesday, prompting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to promise additional measures.