French student protests leave hundreds injured, thousands arrested: What to know

Student protests in France have shut down hundreds of schools after demonstrations against teacher shortages and rundown buildings turned violent.  

Since late last month, protests have spread across the country, and clashes with police and school officials have resulted in hundreds injured.

Despite meetings with top country officials, students are not looking to slow the demonstrations and held a National Day of Protests on Tuesday to keep up pressure. Protests were held in scores of cities, with multiple labor unions rallying in solidarity.

French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly called an emergency meeting of his cabinet to deal with the situation.

The protests are also drawing increasing attention in the U.S., with President Trump on Tuesday blaming them on immigration.

“What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Here’s what we know about the protests: 

What started the demonstration? 

The protests began Sept. 21 at a high school in a suburb of Paris over teacher shortages and deteriorating building conditions.  

The complaints resonated with students across the country as the protests spread from city to city in France in the following weeks.  

“Classrooms are not ventilated, and we can barely open the windows,” Issam Makhloufi, a French student at Rosa Parks High School in St.-Denis, told The New York Times. 

Nearly 500 schools have been forced to close this month.

The protests have been supported by some teachers’ unions and........

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