France student protests: Over 500 arrested, govt promises 3,000 substitute teachers

Around 71,500 people took part in student-led protests across France on Thursday, with more than 500 people detained by police, according to the Interior Ministry.

About 55,000 protesters took part in actions outside schools, while others joined marches across the country. In Paris, around 24,500 people took to the streets as students from schools and universities gathered at Bastille Square.

A few fireworks were seen in the sky as crowds gathered at the square. Some students climbed the famous monument at its centre, waving the French flag and singing the national anthem.

Students demand better education

Students have blocked entrances to hundreds of high schools for more than a week, with riot police deployed at several locations. Some of the confrontations have turned violent.

High-school students across France, most of them aged between 15 and 18, have complained about absent teachers, overloaded timetables, poorly maintained classrooms and school buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.

The protests have also included demands for better education and an end to what students describe as police brutality.

Also Read: Musk doubles down on Starlink India licence allegations; Rahul Gandhi says ‘wait till...’

Government promises 3,000 substitute teachers

France's Education Minister Edouard Geffray on Thursday promised 3,000 substitute teachers for the country's worst-affected high schools.

Geffray said the teachers would be deployed in the coming days to replace absent staff at 114 of the roughly 3,700 high schools across the country.

The announcement came after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a televised address on Wednesday that the government would present a plan to respond to the crisis by the end of October.

Lecornu also denied that security forces had been given "orders to confront" protesters. However, many protesters remained unconvinced.