France: Hundreds arrested as student protests escalate

Security forces in France on Wednesday detained over 600 people as protests at high schools in parts of the country have intensified. Authorities said violent clashes and arson attacks have also left dozens of security personnel wounded. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez condemned what he called an "escalation of violence" outside certain schools. The violence left 83 police officers and gendarmes wounded on Wednesday, he said, adding that 32 teachers and pupils were also injured. The protests affected 356 schools, the minister noted. He slammed the "targeting of law enforcement officers, the throwing of projectiles, acts of violence, verbal abuse, attempted arson, and what amounts... to urban violence.