Donald Trump blames French school protests on 'out of control mass migration' and 'Islam taking over once great country'

Students across the country are continuing to violently lash out against the government, citing eroding school facilities and infrastructure, along with overcrowding and staff shortages.

One of those arrested is a young boy, following a horrific "flamethrower" assault on a woman. Video footage showed the hooded youth lighting a can of deodorant and blasting flames directly into the innocent woman's face.

The US President, however, drew attention to France's "out of control migration".

"What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration," he told his Truth Social followers.

"This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!"

The violent riots - which the Government says include more than 250,000 students, while unions claim up to 450,000 - have left more than 200 students and 700 police injured.

Donald Trump has blamed the ongoing protests in France on 'out of control mass migration' in a social media post

REUTERS

One injury that drew particular attention occurred when a 15-year-old boy had his hand blown off in Lens, after picking up a stun gun from the police, reports claim.

Students have refuted this suggestion, however, insisting he had been directly hit by the grenade.

Local prefect, François-Xavier Lauch, said the student's life is "not in danger" and he was transferred to a hospital "very quickly".

As a result of the gruesome injury, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police will "pause" the use of stun grenades until the facts of Monday's horrifying injury have been established.

Mr Nuñez also told French radio RTL the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN) has opened 18 investigations to determine whether police force had been "appropriate" - including the boy's hand being blown off.

More than 500 schools have been at least partially closed amid the violence, which has lasted more than two weeks and resulted in more than 6,600 arrests, according to French officials

REUTERS

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has said police will 'pause' the use of stun grenades

REUTERS

"There is a police action that raises questions for all of us within the Ministry of the Interior; it's what happened in Lens," he said.

Students, who have also been joined by teachers, have reported sweltering in rooms without air conditioning during summer heatwaves, only to shiver through the winter months in the same poorly maintained buildings.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the Government will review protesters' demands at the end of the month.

"In the past, too many promises were not kept, quite simply because they were untenable," he stated. "What I want are concrete, quick and fully funded answers."

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said 24 schools had been set ablaze or vandalised since the unrest began last month, possibly leaving them shut for weeks and affecting up to 30,000 pupils.

Students across the country are continuing to violently lash out against the government, citing eroding school facilities and infrastructure, along with overcrowding and staff shortages

REUTERS

He added that the country has "never seen anything like this".

The unrest first ignited in mid-September at a high school in Creteil, located on the southeastern fringes of Paris, where demonstrators brandished placards declaring "too many inequalities, we're disgusted" and "education is a right, not a privilege".

The far-left France Unbowed party (LFI) has been accused of trying to co-opt the high school student movement and inciting violence.

Their presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has also been accused by Fabrice Pannekoucke, the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, of spouting "extremely violent remarks" before finally "changing his tone, too late."

Mr Mélenchon has urged various supporters and party members to protect pupils by standing between the youngsters and police.

The LFI said it has taken "several children being maimed for life for Nuñez to give up using grenades against high school students," while the Prime Minister accused the group of trying to "sow chaos".

The student unions said another round of demonstrations is scheduled for Thursday.