French student protests escalate: The principal was doused with gasoline and many schools were set on fire

There has been a wave of protests across France recently among students dissatisfied with government spending cuts, resulting in staff shortages and dilapidated school buildings. Some demonstrators have become increasingly violent in their protest methods. Officials pointed out that today (1st) a principal was doused with gasoline by protesters, and at least two schools were set on fire.

"Reuters" reported that the French police and fire brigade stated that fire alarms were reported at Saint-Exupery high school in the southern city of Marseille and Nelson Mandela high school in the western city of Nantes. The fire trucks were surrounded on the way to Saint-Exupery High School. In the end, the firefighters were forced to abandon the vehicles and flee, while the protesters set the vehicles on fire.

Nantes Deputy Mayor Olivier Chateau later told France Info that the fire at Mandela High School was under control and no one was injured.

Separately, the Marseille prosecutor's office reported that the principal of Victor Hugo high school was doused with gasoline by demonstrators and was injured.

In Saint-Denis, a satellite city of Paris, a large number of young people gathered in front of a riot police line. A student held a placard that read: "Can we express our demands without tear gas being fired?"

In response to the wave of demonstrations, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a meeting this afternoon to discuss response measures; officials pointed out that the protests had resulted in dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests, most of them teenagers.