A wave of teenage student protests erupted outside schools across France in recent days. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces resulted in around 5,000 arrests and left hundreds injured.
As tensions heightened, the Paris police chief on Saturday said the student protest movement that has spread across France is now “out of control.”
Students have blocked the entrances to their institutions and security forces have on occasion responded with tear gas, according to an AFP report.
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What is happening in France
The beginning and the spread:
The movement started two weeks ago, on September 17, at the Saint-Exupéry high school in Paris, in support of teachers striking over a lack of staff and resources.
Gradually, the movement gained momentum, and it spread across the country.
The demonstrators have set fire to objects, blockaded schools, and hurled projectiles at police, the report said.
Multiple grievances:
The demonstrations in France affect lycées, the schools where teens have their last years of school, aged from 15 to 18.
The report highlighted several key student grievances: teacher absences, classroom conditions, overloaded school timetables, and a school day that can be as long as 8 am to 6 pm.
Furthermore, as per French sociologist Valerie Becquet, cited in the report, “High-school students — particularly those from low-income neighbourhoods — feel they are receiving an inferior education.”
Social media and visuals of protests:
Purported visuals of the protests have spread on social media.
HT could not independently verify the visuals.
Video footage shared by AFP on X showed demonstrators protesting under the watchful eye of security officials.
Additionally, the visuals shared by Reuters on X depicted protesters burning objects.
Arrests and effects:
The interior ministry informed that over 5,000 individuals have been arrested since Monday.
Meanwhile, the education minister said that nearly 735 educational establishments were affected on Friday, the AFP reported.
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What the government and critics said
According to AFP, the government has maintained that the grievances may be legitimate, but violence is not.
Meanwhile, the critics have accused the police of using force against protesters, who are legally children, the report added.
Furthermore, the protests have become a major issue of political tension.
The government has accused the left France Unbowed (LFI) of being behind the movement. However, Manuel Bompard, a senior LFI official, has reportedly rejected the government’s accusations.
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Police response amid protests in France
Police have moved to disperse the protesters, firing tear gas canisters, using rubber bullets and sometimes beating them with batons, according to AFP.
A spokesperson for the national police, Agathe Foucault, told RTL radio on Saturday that more than 600 police officers had been injured, a Reuters report said.
Property damage is reportedly estimated at tens of millions of euros.
Meanwhile, Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter on X ahead of planned renewed protests from next Tuesday, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it.
“Since September 18, many high schools and universities have been experiencing blockades, partial or total. In this context, I wanted to address everyone through an open letter,” the caption of the post read.
“One principle must be clear: the law enforcement forces, under the authority of the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, are there to secure gatherings, not to serve as the target for anger exploited by professional rioters,” he added in the post.
“I want to reiterate my full support for the police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters deliberately targeted by troublemakers, and to thank them for their commitment and composure, despite intervention conditions of rare violence,” the police chief said.
“Demonstrating is a right. Violence is not,” the official added.
Student unions have reportedly called for a national day of protests on Tuesday.
What the people on the ground said
A 17-year-old in a poor Paris suburb who aspires to be an English teacher joined the protests.
“Last year I took the high school French exam without a French teacher, and teachers have a huge impact. These are not conditions to study in,” Reuters quoted the teenager as saying.
A 15-year-old, who joined the crowd, said, “Our address should not decide our future.”
“The education authority is not investing enough in the suburbs. It’s classist and racist,” the teen said.
A representative for the Seine-Saint-Denis branch of the CGT’s education union, Louise Paternoster, cited in the Reuters report, said the area does not get adequate resources for its students.
“Our students are losing out on study time. Some schools don’t have drinking water. We are not equal to other departments,” she said.
She also blamed shortages on government cuts of 3,256 teacher positions nationwide in 2026.
(with inputs from agencies)
