Education Crisis: France’s biggest school protests hit a new peak Tuesday, with the interior ministry saying 260,000 marched nationwide (organisers: up to 450,000) and about half of high schools shut or partially closed; clashes turned violent in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes as police used tear gas and water cannon, while protesters set fires and threw objects. Injuries and arrests: Authorities report 6,100 arrests since the unrest began and at least 215 students injured; a 15-year-old in Lens lost a hand after a stun grenade incident. Politics and pressure: Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said classes would be suspended for the rest of the week and urged no tolerance for violence, as Macron met top ministers at the Élysée. International blame game: US President Donald Trump and UN envoy Mike Waltz linked the unrest to “mass migration” and Islam, drawing pushback from French political figures. Markets: In parallel, France’s bond market briefly steadied after Marine Le Pen unveiled a shadow budget with steep spending cuts, while investors remain jittery about the fiscal outlook. Trade tensions: France and Germany urged the EU to build faster trade defenses against “protectionist” moves from abroad, with China widely seen as the target. Culture: Paris Fashion Week continued, with Chanel and others leaning into identity and heritage as the week’s headlines were dominated by the unrest.