French high school students and unions protest school conditions nationwide

Students and trade unions held protests across France on Tuesday, blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools. The demonstrations have been growing since late September. Students say their schools are in poor condition. They complain about missing teachers, classes that are too full, and buildings that are too cold or too hot. Trade unions joined the students for what organisers called a "day of mobilisation". More than 400 schools were affected. Police detained over 400 people, most of them minors. At least ten teachers and several students were hurt, and 48 police officers were also injured. Some protesters set bins on fire and damaged bus stops. The protests happened several months before France chooses a new president to replace Emmanuel Macron in 2027.