France Protests: Mayor Tear-Gassed While Shielding Students From Riot Police

The Mayor of Saint-Denis, France, Bally Bagayoko, has been tear-gassed while attempting to shield student protesters from riot police during demonstrations over inadequate funding for high schools.

Bagayoko was seen standing between police officers and a line of student protesters in a video shared by Al Jazeera on Wednesday morning, as he appealed to the officers not to use force against the demonstrators.

Police reportedly deployed tear gas and water cannons against protesters in Paris and Lyon as nationwide demonstrations entered their third week.

More than 250,000 people have reportedly participated in the protests, with demonstrators demanding increased funding for high schools.

Protesters say inadequate funding has contributed to teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms.

LEADERSHIP  reports that the demonstrations began at a school in Paris on September 17 before spreading to other parts of the country, with some protests escalating into clashes between teenagers and security forces.

Videos circulating on social media have also shown teenagers setting vehicles and rubbish bins on fire in several locations.

According to France’s Interior Ministry, more than 5,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, with minors accounting for about 85 per cent of those arrested.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said lessons would be “totally or partly suspended” in about 400 to 500 high schools where security conditions had not been met.

Geffray also said 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked” since the protests began.

Bagayoko’s intervention, which saw him position himself between the protesters and police, has drawn attention as the government faces criticism over the policing of the youth-led demonstrations.

The protests continue to centre on demands for increased investment in high schools, while authorities have focused on maintaining security amid incidents of violence and property damage.