Hundreds of thousands join student protests across France

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled streets across France Tuesday as the country faced its largest student protests in decades.

(CNN)- Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled streets across France Tuesday as the country faced its largest student protests in decades.

Students were joined by teachers and trade union delegates as demonstrations took place in Paris and other cities.

“We’ve been on the streets since 5 a.m.,” high school student Mélissa Mazouni said. “We want change. We want re-vindication. We want to be heard.”

The demonstrations began last month as a protest supporting striking teachers at a suburban high school near Paris. Since then, the movement has expanded into a national crisis.

Over the past several weeks, hundreds of schools have been forced to close and more than 6,000 people have been taken into police custody. Most of those detained were minors without criminal records.

As the protests grew, images from around the country showed students setting trash cans on fire, manning barricades, assaulting teaching staff and clashing with police.

Police have also faced criticism over their response to the demonstrations, with some protesters accusing officers of using excessive force.

“We, to them, we are young enough to be kicked, to be gassed, but we are not old enough to be listened,” high school student Octave Marty said. “We should be listened.”