Home International Fifth round of French student protests erupts into clashes (VIDEOS)

Fifth round of French student protests erupts into clashes (VIDEOS)

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Officers fired tear gas as demonstrators hurled cobblestones during nationwide rallies demanding better learning conditions

Clashes between protesters and police continued in Paris on Tuesday as high school and university students staged their fifth round of nationwide demonstrations demanding better learning conditions.

In the capital, the most intense clashes took place at Place Vauban, a square near Les Invalides, the historic military complex housing Napoleon’s tomb.

Police fired volleys of tear gas, while protesters hurled cobblestones and launched fireworks at officers.

More than 6,800 people have been detained since the demonstrations began last month, when students joined striking public sector workers. Around 161,500 people attended rallies on Tuesday, including 41,500 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. Organizers, meanwhile, put nationwide turnout at 480,000.

While government officials acknowledged the legitimacy of students’ grievances, they blamed far-left activists for the violence and accused La France Insoumise (LFI), the third-largest party in parliament, of inciting unrest. The party rejected the allegations and called on protesters to refrain from violence.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also accused the left-wing groups Le Poing Leve and Revolution Permanente of encouraging violence during student protests in the Paris suburbs. Both groups rejected the allegations, accusing the minister of overseeing a “brutal crackdown.”

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