In France, tens of thousands of people marched on Tuesday in solidarity with protesting high school students; unions estimated turnout at almost half a million people. The Justice Ministry says more than 6,800 people, mostly minors, have been taken into custody, as rights groups and students accuse riot police of excessive force, including the use of tear gas, batons and blast balls. The movement began at a high school in the Paris suburbs last month and spread nationwide, with students blockading their schools over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and crumbling buildings. This is a protester.

Lucie: “I think it’s part of the police’s strategy, actually. They know that kettling and surrounding people inevitably increases violence. So I think it’s something the police are actually aiming for. … There are thousands of young people demonstrating, and the only things we see are burning trash cans and the vandalism at the end. And I think that’s a very poor summary of what is going on, and it is also drowning out the message people are trying to convey.”