France's School Blockades Widen, PM Calls Emergency Talks

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency meeting Oct. 1 and canceled ministers’ travel as student blockades — shutdowns of school entrances — spread across France. Pupils cite teacher shortages, packed classes and decaying buildings. Blockades that started last week now hit hundreds of schools, with universities joining Oct. 1. The government says some protests turned into “urban violence.”