A movement that began with a few high schools has broadened to encompass labor unions and other activists.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The police’s treatment of the student last month sheds light on how a wave of school unrest evolved into national protests that spilled into widespread riots on Saturday.

Angered by poor classroom conditions, students at Paul Éluard High School in a suburb of the capital were among the first to blockade their campus during an ongoing round of unrest.

© Abdul Saboor/Reuters

The rallies are a test of the strength of the student-led protest movement that has escalated at French high schools since late September.