France to close up to 500 schools as student protests escalate

France will close up to 500 high schools on Monday due to safety concerns from increasingly violent student protests, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced Sunday, as organizers plan to resume demonstrations. The precautionary closures affect 400-500 schools where security conditions are unmet, with 24 schools burned or ransacked since protests began. At least 170 students and 78 staff have been injured, while over 5,000 people, mostly minors, have been arrested. Protests started September 17 over class sizes, teacher shortages, and long school days, spreading nationwide. Geffray blamed far-left activists for hijacking the movement, while Amnesty International urged authorities to listen to students rather than repress them.