Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint-Denis in France, was tear-gassed while attempting to shield student protesters from riot police during demonstrations over funding for high schools.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a video shared by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Bagayoko is seen standing between police officers and a group of student protesters as he appealed to the officers not to use force against the demonstrators.
Police reportedly deployed tear gas and water cannon against protesters in Paris and Lyon as nationwide demonstrations entered their third week.
More than 250,000 people have reportedly taken part in the protests, with demonstrators demanding increased funding for high schools.
Protesters say inadequate funding has contributed to teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms across the country.
The movement began at a school in Paris on September 17 before spreading to other parts of France. Some demonstrations have been marked by clashes between teenagers and security forces.
Videos shared on social media have also shown teenagers setting vehicles and rubbish bins on fire in several locations.
France’s Interior Ministry said more than 5,000 people had been arrested, with minors accounting for about 85 percent of those detained.
Edouard Geffray, France’s education minister, said classes would be “totally or partly suspended” in between 400 and 500 high schools where security conditions had not been met.
Geffray also said 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked” since the protests began.
Bagayoko’s intervention has attracted attention amid growing criticism of police tactics during the youth-led demonstrations, particularly the use of force against student protesters.
