Crowds of teenagers marched from the Place de la République in Paris, while in Marseille thousands of demonstrators moved through the city, pausing to chant before moving on as police changed direction. A group of masked protesters in Marseille grabbed bollards and bins to barricade themselves; riot officers responded with tear gas, dispersing the crowd. Tear gas was also used in Paris, and water cannon was deployed in Rennes. Clashes were reported in Lyon, though authorities said Tuesday's trouble was less serious than previous protests.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned earlier violence and stated that since the protests began, 215 students and 85 staff had been hurt, along with 715 police officers. The government reported disruption in 891 high schools – almost a quarter of all lycées – and said more than 250,000 demonstrators had taken part nationwide. Students' unions put the number at 450,000 and said 1,800 schools had been blockaded.
Protesters voiced frustration over crumbling school infrastructure. "Most of us aren't violent," said Alissa, a student in Marseille. "We're going to the streets because they've closed our schools... schools are falling apart." Her friend Sacha added that ceilings in Marseille's schools were leaking and conditions generally poor, "so we can't really work a lot of time. We will keep doing this until good measures are taken."
The movement, which protesters call 'Act Three,' has broadened from high-school pupils to include parents, university students and trade unions. The government has not announced any new measures in response to the latest demonstrations.