Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of a working-class suburb near Paris, has been a regular presence at student demonstrations, prompting both applause and condemnation.

Demonstrations for a better-funded education system have led to blockaded schools, thousands of arrests and a national political reckoning.

© Abdul Saboor/Reuters

Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of a working-class suburb near Paris, has been a regular presence at student demonstrations, prompting both applause and condemnation.

While the powerful board appeared to back campus administration, some students protested against the backdrop of homecoming weekend.

© Lauren Petracca for The New York Times