Why have France’s school protests become a wider political crisis?

Protests are sweeping France as anger over conditions in schools meets frustration with high living costs and a government accused of doing little to address problems facing people.About 550,000 people demonstrated nationwide on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry. Most marched peacefully, while a small minority attacked buildings, looted shops and clashed with police, who fired tear gas and charged protesters.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Fighting intensifies across Yemen as humanitarian crisis deepenslist 2 of 4Food or medicine? The impossible choices facing Sudan’s chronically illlist 3 of 4Rubio says Ukraine without access to Starshield, future ‘under discussion’list 4 of 4South African rugby player Hyron Andrews remembered in emotional tributeend of listPrime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 1,200 people were arrested and 150 police officers were injured. Behind the confrontations lies a political crisis, fuelled by anger at deteriorating services and overstretched household budgets, and compounded by a sense that France’s political institutions offer little hope of change.Here is how school blockades became a nationwide movement – and what that means f...