Protesters clash with police in Paris and across France during major day of demonstrations

More than 272 people have been arrested across France during a day of major protests over falling education standards and the cost of living, as demonstrators damaged public buildings in several cities.

In Lyon, a tourism office was set on fire. Protesters broke into and damaged town hall buildings in Lille and Marseille. The interior ministry condemned what it called “targeted acts of violence” and accused some protesters of attempting to loot shops and attacking police.

In Paris, a large demonstration was under way. The BBC’s Paris correspondent reported that some protesters in the capital were clearly intent on causing trouble, but that the main march appeared peaceful. A group of young people told the BBC they were “pacifists” who were “just trying to make things change”.

President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm and urged demonstrators to show “respect for people and property”.

The protests follow about three weeks of student-led demonstrations across the country. Organisers have called for workers’ unions and prominent figures from the “yellow vest” movement to join them.

The movement began in the deprived suburbs of Paris and spread nationwide, with students, teachers and parents protesting against understaffed and run-down schools. Earlier this month, the interior ministry said about 6,100 people had been arrested since it began, the overwhelming majority of them minors.