Student Loses Hand as French School Protests Escalate

High school protests over severe teacher shortages and deteriorating educational conditions have swept across France, with student groups reporting roughly 1,800 schools affected. The two-week movement expanded nationwide as university students, teachers, parents, and unions joined blockades from Paris to Marseille. Tension surged in Lens when a 15-year-old student lost his hand after a police grenade exploded during demonstrations near Auguste-Béhal High School. With police reporting 260,000 demonstrators outside Paris, protesters continue to demand increased education funding, solutions to overcrowded classrooms, and reforms to the Parcoursup university entrance system.