French student protests lead to 1,700 arrests and clashes with police

French authorities made over 1,700 arrests on Friday amid nationwide student protests marked by riots and clashes with police, with nearly 400 of the country's 3,700 high schools closed. The movement, which began September 17 near Paris over poor school conditions and underfunding, has spread nationwide and turned increasingly violent. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported 1,747 arrests on Friday alone, bringing the weekly total past 5,000, with incidents near 158 schools. Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced an action plan to accelerate teacher replacements, while student unions called for continued mobilization on Tuesday. Amnesty International condemned disproportionate police force, and damage costs are estimated in the millions of euros.