The latest figures on the ongoing high school protests across France revealed Wednesday that over 1,000 people have been injured since the start of the mobilization, while 30,000 students are unable to attend classes.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray told the National Assembly that 215 students and 88 education staff members have been injured since the protests over learning conditions began in mid-September.

Geffray noted that the vast majority of the student injuries were "due to reckless behavior or mortar fire," according to broadcaster BFMTV.

He also stressed that a "little less than half" of the injured education staff members were principals or deputy principals who were "deliberately targeted" in many cases.

"We have never seen this before," Geffray explained.

According to figures from Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office cited by Le Figaro, a total of 715 police officers or gendarmes were also injured.

Geffray further told the National Assembly that 24 high schools were set on fire or vandalized to an extent that they cannot reopen immediately.

“As a result, 30,000 high school students are unable to attend classes in person,” Geffray said, describing it as “enormous harm” to their education.

He added that several hundred other schools were also damaged seriously, with an estimated cost of at least €20-30 million ($22-33 million).

Use of grenades suspended during mobilizations

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told broadcaster RTL that the police use of stun grenades would be suspended during student mobilizations, notably after a 15-year-old protester's hand was blown off earlier.

“I asked yesterday that these grenades no longer be used as part of the high school students’ movement,” he said.

Nunez also announced that 18 investigations were launched by the IGPN, France’s police oversight body, following acts of violence on the sidelines of the mobilizations.

“These judicial investigations are ongoing and will determine whether or not these actions were proportionate,” he stressed.

While underlining that a police response is needed in the protests, he reiterated that there must be proportionality.

“You do not manage a high school students’ movement in the same way as you manage a movement of adults," Nunez added.

He said President Emmanuel Macron also asked him and Geffray, following a meeting held Tuesday, to show more empathy and provide more explanation regarding their approach.

"The president recalled the need to maintain order and intervene whenever there is serious violence, while asking us to act with the greatest proportionality,” Nunez further noted.

According to the Interior Ministry figures, 6,547 people have been arrested since Sept. 28.

Classes fully or partially suspended at over 500 schools

The Education Ministry also said classes were fully or partially suspended at 459 schools Wednesday, according to BFMTV.

A total of 891 of the country’s 3,700 high schools had classes “fully or partially suspended, for all reasons combined” on Tuesday, according to the Education Ministry.

The High School Students’ Union and the Student Union called for blockades to continue Wednesday, as well as for new marches Thursday, for an “Act IV” in Paris and other cities.

Mobilizations continued across France on Wednesday, with students gathering and blocking the entrances of several schools across Nice, Paris, and Lyon.

A total of 11 people have been injured in the Lyon region since the start of the day, as 21 educational institutions were affected. (AA)

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