French police use tear gas during high school rally

Police used tear gas to contain crowds in Paris and other French cities on Tuesday, October 6. According to the government, more than a quarter of a million people gathered across the country to support high school students demanding more funding for education.

Students blocked the entrance to secondary schools in Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities, gathered in large crowds waving flags and posters.

France’s interior ministry estimates that 266,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country on Tuesday, including 56,000 in Paris, where small groups of protesters clashed with police officers in the city square.

According to the ministry, about 500 people were detained on Tuesday. The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and weapons to quell riots against teenagers has angered some parents and teachers. Separate student groups called for more protests on Thursday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police action was proportionate "in almost all cases" and that protests at times escalated into riots requiring police intervention.