Authorities say political agitators have infiltrated the protest, which started at a Paris school on 17 September and spread across the capital and the rest of France.

“There are activists – particularly from the far left – who have infiltrated the high school student movement, hijacked it from the students themselves, and engaged in extreme violence,” said Geffray. “Clearly, this poses a risk to both our staff and our students.”

There was an intelligence report on the left activity behind the students. It showed that political forces were riding the wave, but there was absolutely no activism and hijacking from the left. However, there also are documented moments where policemen were acting as agent provocateur against the riot police just to make things worse and justify the riot police being ultra violent.