School head doused with gasoline in France during protests — Jerusalem Post

In France, amid protests by school and university students, attackers doused the head of the Victor Hugo lycée in Marseille with gasoline. According to the Jerusalem Post, he was injured, but prosecutors did not specify the nature of the injuries or other details of the attack.

Fire engine set ablaze in Marseille

On the same day, hundreds of young people surrounded a fire engine that had arrived to extinguish a blaze near the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Marseille, police said. According to police, the attackers forced the firefighters to leave the vehicle before setting it on fire.

Another fire broke out at the Nelson Mandela lycée in Nantes, western France. Nantes Deputy Mayor Olivier Château said the fire was brought under control and no one was injured. People inside the building were evacuated, while students due to attend classes were not allowed into the institution.

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Government reaction

Demonstrations and blockades of educational institutions began last week. Protest participants are protesting staff shortages, the poor condition of school buildings, the need for substitute teachers, additional resources, and better learning conditions.

The protests became politically sensitive for the government after spending cuts were announced in the 2027 budget. The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting. According to officials, dozens of people were injured as a result of the protests, while law enforcement officers detained hundreds of people, mostly teenagers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that in some places, troublemakers move from one school to another, inciting violence. Education Minister Édouard Geffray called for classes to be held remotely if protesters block school premises.