source: Reuters

France’s intelligence agencies briefed a government crisis meeting on Thursday that a wave ​of student protests, sometimes violent, that has swept across the country was initiated by hard-left politicians, a person close to the prime minister said.

The protests against teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings erupted in the Paris region last month but have turned increasingly violent as they spread nationwide, with dozens injured and with police making hundreds of arrests.

Student protesters started fires in at least two high schools, while teachers were inadvertently splashed with petrol at a third in the southern city of Marseille, officials said. At least one car ​was torched in Strasbourg in the east and riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse in the southwest.

The protest movement had reached a tipping point ​and morphed from school blockades into urban violence, according to a readout of the crisis meeting provided by the source close ⁠to the prime minister.

“Shared assessment by the intelligence services on the origin of the movement: an operation organised by LFI (France Unbowed) and its proxies on the far ​left,” the readout stated.

Hard-left lawmakers and local mayors have been accused by political opponents of fanning the protest movement by turning up in front of high schools and defending ​it.
LFI dismissed the charge that it was behind the protests.

“LFI has always advocated non-violent demonstrations,” LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard told BFM TV after the meeting readout was shared with reporters.

“The government, by turning it into a political battle, has added fuel to the fire by insulting and repressing high school students,” he added.

“This sense of frustration will not be dealt with through batons; it will ​be dealt with by showing consideration for these young people,” he said.