Key facts
- Student protests over classroom conditions, teacher shortages, and long school days have spread across France.
- Police detained over 400 people on Tuesday, with many being minors.
- Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that 2,000 people have been arrested since the protests began.
- About 400 high schools, approximately 1 in 10, were closed on Friday due to the unrest.
- Protesters have burned rubbish bins, thrown bottles and paving stones at police, and in some cases used hydrochloric acid.
- Police responded with batons and tear gas, injuring 48 law enforcement officers.
Student protests over conditions in France's high schools have escalated into violence across the country, with police clashing with demonstrators and making hundreds of arrests. The movement, which began in the Paris region last week, has spread to approximately 400 of France's 3,700 lycees, with students blockading schools and protesting against large class sizes, teacher shortages, dilapidated buildings, and exhausting schedules.
Incidents reported include the burning of rubbish bins, the throwing of bottles, paving stones, and fireworks at police officers, who have responded with batons and tear gas. Authorities reported that 48 law enforcement officers were injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that 440 people were detained nationwide on Tuesday, with about two-thirds subsequently placed in police custody. He condemned protesters who arrived with covered faces and carrying projectiles, noting seven incidents involving hydrochloric acid being thrown at police.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin told RTL radio that 2,000 people, mostly teenagers, had been arrested since the protests began, and suggested that parents of those causing property damage should pay reparations. Education Minister Edouard Geffray urged parents to keep their children away from the streets, stating they were in danger. Some students interviewed by Reuters expressed concerns about the escalating violence and the movement being hijacked by "outsiders," according to Darmanin.
The protests coincide with a public sector strike over the government's budget plans, exacerbating political tensions for President Emmanuel Macron's administration ahead of next year's presidential election. The draft 2027 budget proposes a 1.7% increase for education, which is below inflation, to €65.53 billion, excluding teacher pensions. Intelligence agencies reportedly suggested that the protest movement was initiated by politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI), an allegation that senior LFI lawmakers have rebutted.