Student protests in France escalated into riots that closed 400 high schools on Friday. An estimated 600 police officers, 170 students and 65 school staff have been injured.
Students said they were protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and rundown buildings. However, the rioters were also seen looting luxury stores and waving foreign flags.
French intelligence reportedly told a crisis meeting that Jean-Luc Melenchon’s hard-left party La France Insoumise started the unrest, which the party denied.
National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who leads the polls for April’s presidential election, said “This is no longer about high-school student protests”.
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