Hundreds of thousands of students, parents and support organisations have taken to the streets across France, turning a regional complaint over overcrowded and crumbling schools into a nationwide movement.
In Paris, marchers crowded Place de la République, demanding new funding and an end to what they call excessive police repression. Police responded with tear gas, while officers in Marseille fired canisters into crowds that had blocked high‑school gates.
The French Interior Ministry reported that 215 students and 85 staff were injured, and that 715 police officers sustained injuries. Despite a statement calling the violence “unacceptable,” more than 1,800 high schools were reported to have been blockaded, a figure far exceeding the 891 disruptions recorded by the government.
‘Most of us aren’t violent,’ said Alissa, a student in Marseille. ‘We’re going to the streets because our schools are falling apart.’ Her friend, Sacha, added that leaking roofs and inadequate facilities had made learning nearly impossible.
The protests, which erupted in mid‑September over poor schooling conditions in Seine‑Saint‑Denis, have spread to universities and sparked new demonstrations in Lyon, Rennes and beyond. National Union leaders claim that further gatherings are being planned for Thursday, and a police inspectorate has opened investigations into alleged disproportionate force.
President Emmanuel Macron, whose final term runs to 2027, faced the protests with a meeting at the Élysée Palace to assess the situation, while the opposition leader Jean‑Luc Mélenchon remains a senior contender for the upcoming election.
