France to close up to 500 schools Monday after protest clashes

Up to 500 schools in France will be fully or partially closed on Monday due to security concerns following clashes between student protesters and riot police, the education minister announced. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools were burnt or ransacked and 78 staff injured, with closures matching Friday's scale. Thousands of teenagers protested last week against underfunding and neglect in the education system. The government plans a "partial, progressive return to lessons," while protest organizers call for renewed demonstrations Tuesday. Authorities blame far-left activists for infiltrating the movement, and the crisis has become a major challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's administration.