Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across France as unions and teachers joined high school students who have been demanding better learning conditions in protests punctuated by violent confrontations. The protests have been ongoing for weeks, with high school students blocking the entrances to hundreds of schools for 15- to 17-year-olds since late September. They are complaining of missing teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms, and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.
The French interior ministry estimated that around 250,000 people took part in the student protests across France, with organisers putting the figure at 450,000. The interior ministry said 86,000 had joined the protests. The protests have erupted with just months to go before the 2027 election to choose a successor to centrist President Emmanuel Macron, with far-right veteran candidate Marine Le Pen riding high in the polls despite a graft conviction.
Unions and rights groups have joined the students in accusing the authorities of using disproportionate force. A police stun grenade tore the hand off one teenager on Monday and another youngster had his teeth knocked out last week after police fired a grenade launcher at his head. At the Place de la Republique in central Paris, the savoury smell of grilled merguez sausages wafted over the crowd. Two men in climbing gear scaled the nearby monument, where they unfurled a plastic banner reading "Neglected schools, sacrificed youth".
"Gen Z has risen up and wants to be heard," 19-year-old Lilia told AFP at a massive march in central Paris, adding that she hoped the president would listen. Many protesters have been injured and thousands of children arrested. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu responded to the demonstrations, telling lawmakers in the National Assembly that there was "no room for tolerance of violence". "Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings," he told parliament.
While many protests have been peaceful, some demonstrators have started fires, destroyed bus shelters or clashed with riot police. Police have responded with batons, tear gas and riot-control rounds. The government says 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured since the start of the movement. A 15-year-old lost a hand to a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers in the northern town of Lens on Monday.
The government has sought to address the grievances, while accusing the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of being behind the movement. Veteran LFI presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has strongly supported the protests, while calling for non-violent methods. Amnesty International said the French authorities should "put an end to the disproportionate police repression seen in recent days during student protests".
Since the start of the movement, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked, according to the education ministry. More than 5,000 people, 87 percent of them minors, have been arrested. The prime minister's office said 85 teaching staff have also been injured. The police have launched 10 internal investigations into allegations of brutality since the protests started, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said late Monday.
Key points
- The protests are demanding better learning conditions, including more teachers and improved infrastructure.
- The government has accused the hard-left France Unbowed party of being behind the movement.
- More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the start of the protests.
