French Student Protests Draw 550,000 Nationwide

Protests in France over school issues and rising living costs turned violent on Saturday, with an estimated 550,000 people participating nationwide and at least 1,200 arrests reported by the government. The demonstrations, initially led by students aged 15-18 protesting teacher shortages and dilapidated infrastructure in high schools, expanded as union members and other groups joined. In Paris, riot police clashed with crowds using tear gas and water cannons, while buildings were set on fire and looting occurred in several cities. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported 150 police officers injured during the unrest. While the main rally in Paris was largely peaceful, masked groups later targeted violence, and firefighters were reportedly prevented from extinguishing blazes.