French Students Protest Nationwide Over School Conditions, Police Violence

French high school students staged their largest day of protests on Tuesday, with demonstrations in over 40 cities demanding better funding, more teachers, and safer buildings. The Interior Ministry counted roughly 256,000 participants nationwide, including 56,000 in Paris, while organizers claimed 450,000. The movement began on September 17 in Paris suburbs over dilapidated facilities and has since spread nationally.

Clashes erupted in Strasbourg, Lyon, and Rennes, where police fired tear gas and protesters set fires and threw objects. In contrast, marches in Marseille, Nantes, and Toulouse remained largely peaceful. A police officer in the Pontoise area was charged with voluntary violence after firing a tear gas grenade directly at a student, causing severe facial injuries described as mutilation or permanent disability.

“There is such a huge gap between the elites and us”

Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced an action plan to accelerate teacher replacements, particularly for first and final year students, but acknowledged he cannot decide on the 2027 school calendar before the presidential election. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecorneu's office condemned "urban violence," blaming the left-wing party La France Insoumise.

Since Monday, authorities reported 1,747 arrests in a single day, bringing the total since the start of the week to over 6,000. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended police actions as "proportional" in nearly all cases, citing the high arrest numbers. However, the IGPN police watchdog has opened 10 investigations into police conduct.

Official figures released by Geffray show 85 education staff, 215 students, and 715 police officers injured since the movement began. Rights groups and unions allege disproportionate force, citing serious student injuries including broken jaws, lost eyes, and amputations linked to flash-ball and sting-ball grenades. Nearly 10% of teaching hours in public secondary schools were not delivered in the 2024-25 academic year, largely due to a lack of substitute teachers.

The unrest poses a major challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's government less than seven months before the presidential election, with Marine Le Pen leading polls amid public anger over fuel prices and planned budget cuts. The High School Student Union (USL) has called for continued mobilization.