Students barricaded the Hélène Boucher high school in northeastern Paris with garbage bins on Thursday before riot police moved in with tear gas, as France's nationwide protests over education funding showed few signs of abating.
Dozens of students dragged rubbish bins into position early Thursday, erecting fresh barricades at the school, which has been a flashpoint for clashes in the French capital. Riot police gathered in side streets as students converged on the school. Many protesters wore surgical masks or hoodies, apparently to avoid being recognized.
The Hélène Boucher high school was one of hundreds of schools disrupted by protests Thursday. According to the Education Ministry, 375 schools were either fully or partially closed on the day.
At least a dozen demonstrations in support of the high school students' movement were planned across France later Thursday, including a rally at Place de la Bastille in Paris.
The protests began in late September, when students, most of them under 18, started demonstrating to demand more education funding. Police have made more than 6,600 arrests since the protests began, according to the Interior Ministry.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu made a statement at the Hôtel de Matignon in Paris on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the government over the ongoing unrest.