Up to 500 French schools to close Monday as student protests spread

Up to 500 French high schools will be totally or partly closed Monday due to nationwide student protests, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said, citing unmet security conditions and 24 schools burned or ransacked. The closures are a precaution ahead of larger protests called for Tuesday, with over a third of 468 schools in the Ile-de-France region shut. Students cite high teacher absences, long days, and dilapidated facilities, while officials blame far-left infiltrators for violence injuring 78 staff. More than 5,000 people, mostly minors, have been arrested since the movement began September 17. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu proposed a timetable to address absences and building repairs, while Amnesty criticized police violence and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez defended security forces.