French government calls crisis meeting as some school blockades turn violent

PARIS — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called an emergency meeting on Thursday to address the fast-growing number of student protests across the country. The movement, which was borne of anger over conditions in secondary schools, began in recent days with teenagers blocking entrances to educational institutions in underprivileged suburbs of Paris. The Union Syndicale Lycéenne , the student union spearheading the demonstrations, said they want authorities to address a “shortage of teachers and staff, dilapidated high schools, overcrowded classrooms, and overloaded schedules.” While the protests have been largely peaceful, some have seen trash cans set on fire outside school entrances and buildings vandalized.