About 100 schools blocked in France as students join "Yellow Vest" action

Students across France have disrupted lessons and blocked about 100 high schools on Monday to denounce education reform and support "Yellow Vests" movement against high living costs.

High-school students that oppose changes to college and the university system seized on the mood of "Yellow Vests" action to step up blockades in many schools across French cities, including Toulouse and Paris suburbs where they clashed with anti-riot police.

In Aubervilliers, northern Paris suburbs, hundreds of young people quit schools and walked out to the street chanting "Macron, Resign". Scores of them were arrested after they torched a vehicle and set bins on fire, according to state-run radio France info.

Violent standoffs were also reported in Bordeaux, southwestern France and eastern French town of Dijon where students threw various projectile at police officers, who responded by firing tear gas.

"Pretexts are clearly being used to commit urban violence," an official at education authority in Creteil, southeast of Paris, was quoted as saying by France info radio.