Portugal’s Economy Minister, Manuel Castro Almeida, says Cristiano Ronaldo matters to Portugal in ways that reach far beyond football. “Many people know Portugal only because of Cristiano Ronaldo,” he stressed.

His comments land as the fallout from Ronaldo’s sudden exit from the national team camp continues to dominate the headlines.

Speaking in remarks carried by the Portuguese website The Resident from the Now channel, the minister painted Ronaldo as a huge asset for Portugal’s image on the world stage. “Cristiano Ronaldo has an enormous impact in promoting and highlighting Portugal’s image,” he said. He went further still, likening the Portugal star to “the most famous company in Portugal”

On the row between Ronaldo and coach Jorge Jesus, Castro Almeida pleaded ignorance. He insisted he was “not an expert” and refused to judge who was in the right.

His focus stayed on Ronaldo’s wider worth to Portugal and its standing abroad.

That global recognition, the Economy Minister argues, makes Ronaldo “a value and an asset” to the country. “It would be good if Portugal could continue to rely on this asset,” he said.

He added: “From the angle of enhancing Portugal’s image and reputation, Cristiano holds extremely important value, and it would be very good for Portugal to continue to benefit from this potential.”

Lessons were suspended at hundreds of French high schools on Monday, as part of a wave of student protest over learning conditions that have rocked the European nation.

Students trickled into some schools despite ongoing protests outside their gates, ahead of a day of larger demonstrations expected on Tuesday.

Since late September, pupils have barred the entrances to their schools, complaining of teacher absences, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings ill-adapted to rising temperatures, among other grievances.

The government has sought to address the grievances, while accusing hard-left activists of having hijacked the protest movement.

Up to 500 out of France’s 3,700 high schools, known as lycees, were expected to be partially or totally closed on Monday, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said late Sunday.

A third of the 468 lycees for teenagers aged 15 to 17 were to be closed in the Paris region, authorities said.

In the capital’s central third district on Monday morning, dozens of teenage students chanted in protest, as cars honked their horns in support while driving past, while others made their way into class.

“No means, no silence,” read one cardboard sign outside the Turgot high school.

“We’re missing our lessons to give you one,” read another.

In the western city of Rennes, more than 20 pupils gathered outside the Montaigne lycee, one clutching a sign that read “Not enough teachers”, but staff allowed other students into their classrooms.

In the northern city of Lille, masked protesters destroyed bus shelters or set fire to dustbins, as police fired teargas towards several hundred demonstrators.

The movement started on September 17 at a high school in the Paris suburb of Creteil, in support of teachers striking over a lack of staff and resources.

It gained momentum and spread across France, at times spiralling into vandalism, including the destruction of bus shelters, the burning of school entrances and clashes between protesters and security forces.

Since the start of the movement, 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked”, according to the education minister.

More than 5,000 people, 85 percent of them minors, have been arrested.

Protesters have also accused the police of using disproportionate force, and internal investigations have been opened into at least three instances of alleged police brutality.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu set out a timetable on Sunday urging local authorities to prioritise filling gaps left by long-term teacher absences and unfilled posts.

He called a meeting for Tuesday with regional presidents to discuss overhauling the country’s often-dilapidated school buildings.

The government is also hoping to pass through parliament a bill to make those who are responsible for damaging public property pay for repairs themselves, instead of drawing from taxpayer money.

Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon defended the bill.

“When you have 14-, 15-, 16-year-olds who, at 9 am, are burning bus shelters or — perhaps even more seriously — the high school where they study, that raises the question of parental responsibility,” she told Europe1/Cnews broadcaster.

Lecornu has said the draft law, first presented before the protests, would allow these sums to be “taken from family allowances and housing benefits, while ensuring a minimum income is preserved”.

The head of the main CGT labour union, Sophie Binet, slammed what she called a “populist announcement”, which she said would “end up targeting the most vulnerable families”.

French students have set fire to school entrances and blocked education facilities across the country as protests over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings escalated into violent clashes on Thursday, October 1.

The fires broke out at two high schools in Nantes, western France, while another blaze was recorded at a school in Rouen.

The demonstrations, which began last week, have spread to hundreds of secondary schools and at least 30 universities, with students demanding more teachers, better facilities and improved learning conditions.

In Nantes, a fire at Nelson Mandela High School spread from a burning rubbish bin to the front of the building, damaging the entrance hall.

Another school in the city was also affected by a fire, while footage showed flames at the entrance of a school in Rouen.

The unrest was also reported in Marseille, where staff at Victor Hugo High School were splashed with petrol as protesters reportedly carried containers.

At Saint-Exupery High School, protesters set fire to a fire truck, according to Reuters.

A headteacher at Degrugillier High School in Auchel was also injured in the ear by a firework during the unrest, while authorities reported clashes and arrests in several locations.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting on Thursday following the escalation.

The government later described parts of the demonstrations as having descended into what it called “urban violence.”

French authorities said hundreds of people had been arrested as the protests spread. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 625 people had been detained, while 83 police officers and gendarmes were injured. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 119 people, including students and school staff, had been injured.

The protests have centred on complaints about shortages of teachers and supervisors, overcrowded classrooms and poorly maintained school buildings. Students have also raised concerns about inadequate facilities, including classrooms, toilets and canteens.

Seventeen-year-old Raphael, who joined a protest in Strasbourg, said that some rooms at his school had leaks and that the institution lacked enough toilets. He also complained about a small cafeteria, limited resources and insufficient supervisors.

The demonstrations have now extended beyond secondary schools, with university students joining the action.

At least 30 universities have reportedly been blocked, including campuses in Paris and Rennes.

Public transport has also been disrupted in parts of the country. Services in Marseille and Strasbourg were halted on Thursday following incidents involving vandalism, threats of violence and attempts to prevent protesters from moving between locations.

The protests have also become a political issue, with government figures and politicians on the right blaming groups associated with the French left for encouraging the unrest

Leaders on the left have rejected responsibility for the violence while arguing that the concerns raised by students over education and public services should be addressed.

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen accused members of La France Insoumise of overseeing the unrest and called for a new anti-rioting law.

La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meanwhile, said he supported non-violent demonstrations and argued that blaming the political left would not resolve the problems behind the protests.

Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan condemned the violence in the city but said young people had legitimate concerns about their future and public services. Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti separately called for parents of young people found responsible for damaging school property to pay for repairs.

The protests began last week and expanded rapidly amid wider public-sector demonstrations over government spending plans. More than 350 high schools had been affected as of Wednesday, with the unrest occurring alongside a broader strike by public-sector workers.

French authorities are now facing pressure to restore order while responding to students’ complaints about staffing and school conditions.

Education Minister, Édouard Geffray, is expected to meet student and union representatives as the government considers measures to prevent further disruption to schools.