More than a quarter of a million people rallied across France on Tuesday in support of school pupils demanding more education funding. The interior ministry estimated 266,000 demonstrators nationwide, including 56,000 in Paris. Unions put the figure at 450,000.

The protests turned tense in Paris. Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannons. Some demonstrators threw stones at officers. Nearly 500 people were detained across the country. Police said about 300 hostile individuals tried to confront officers.

Students have blocked hundreds of high schools since mid-September. They complain of missing teachers, overcrowded classes and dilapidated buildings. Teachers, parents and unions have joined the marches. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the police response was proportionate in almost all cases. Rights groups called the force used against teenagers disproportionate. The protests are pressuring the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron. More demonstrations are planned this week.

Place de la Nation was the destination of the Paris march led by teenage students on Tuesday. The movement started at rundown schools in the poorer suburbs. It has since spread to towns and cities across the country. It could become France’s biggest youth protest movement in decades.