France Protests: How Student Protests Over Schools Spread Across the Country

France has witnessed weeks of protests, school blockades, clashes with police, arson and looting as demonstrations over deteriorating educational facilities, rising living costs and government spending cuts escalated into nationwide unrest. On October 17, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, with largely peaceful demonstrations overshadowed by violent clashes, attacks on public buildings and the looting of businesses in several cities.

The movement began with high school students demanding better school infrastructure, more teachers and improved learning conditions. It subsequently drew support from trade unions, public-sector workers, Yellow Vest activists and others opposed to the government's economic policies. As the unrest spread, police tactics became another source of anger, while President Emmanuel Macron's government blamed far-left groups and criminal elements for the violence.

How did the protests in France begin?

The protests began on September 21 at Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, a suburb southeast of Paris, where several teaching positions were vacant. Students began blockading schools over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings and demanding improvements to their school schedules.

In its September 30 explainer, Al Jazeera reported that protests had affected around 400 of France's 3,700 high schools. Students complained about large class sizes, absent teachers, inadequate school buildings and exhausting schedules. Around 40 schools had been blockaded, while another 44 faced attempted blockades.

Vincent Latour, a professor of British studies at Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, told Al Jazeera that dissatisfaction had grown after successive heatwaves exposed problems with school buildings.

"There has been discontent since successive heatwaves in June this year, which revealed the poor state of schools, with poor insulation and no air conditioning," Latour said.

Caroline Chevé, secretary-general of the FSU education union federation, also highlighted the conditions students were facing.

"They're in overcrowded classrooms. Sometimes they don't have enough teachers because of staffing shortages. They see the same reality as we do, and they're angry," she said.

The student demonstrations coincided with a nationwide public-sector strike on September 29 against the government's proposed 2027 budget, which involved a €54 billion fiscal adjustment effort through spending cuts, savings and revenue measures. Teachers, firefighters and other public-sector workers joined the action, opposing a proposed freeze in public-sector salaries for 2027 and demanding a 6 per cent pay increase.

According to Al Jazeera, unions estimated that around 300,000 people participated in the September 29 strike nationwide, while police put the turnout in Paris at approximately 30,000.

Why did the protests turn into nationwide unrest?

The movement expanded beyond school conditions as concerns over living costs, economic inequality and public spending brought trade unions, parents, public-sector workers and anti-government activists onto the streets. Their demands varied, but they shared opposition to the government's policies.

October 17 marked a turning point in the scale of the unrest. Hundreds of thousands of people participated in demonstrations across France against rising living costs and deteriorating public services. While many marched peacefully, groups of rioters clashed with police, set fires and looted businesses in several cities.

According to the Associated Press (AP), turnout estimates ranged from 550,000, according to authorities, to 800,000, according to organisers. In Paris, masked groups attacked businesses and clashed with police. Public buildings were also targeted in several cities.

In Limoges, a fire engulfed the historic 19th-century city hall, causing its roof to collapse and nearly destroying the building. In Marseille, some protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall, while a police station was also damaged. In Lyon, a fire broke out inside a tourist office. Businesses were also looted in several urban centres.

Reuters reported that more than 3,000 shops had been pillaged or damaged, citing the French government.

The scale of the violence prompted comparisons with the Yellow Vest unrest of 2018 and the nationwide riots in 2023 following the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk.

The government blamed radical far-left activists and criminal groups for exploiting the demonstrations to attack police officers, businesses and public institutions. However, policing expert Sebastian Roché told AP that the far-left fringe was too small and loosely organised to account for the scale of the violence on its own.

Roché also distinguished between politically motivated attacks and opportunistic looting. Describing those who targeted shops to steal goods, he told AP: "Their aim is not symbolic. It is acquisitive."

What role did the police response play in escalating the violence?

Police tactics became a major source of contention as the demonstrations spread. Protesters, students and rights groups accused security forces of excessive force during school blockades and clashes. Officers used tear gas, batons, rubber bullets and stun grenades, leaving several young protesters seriously injured.

The issue came into sharper focus after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a confrontation with riot police in the northern city of Lens on October 5. On October 7, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced a suspension of stun grenade use during student protests while the circumstances of the incident were investigated. Nuñez said there was a "strong possibility" that a stun grenade had caused the teenager's injury.

A Reuters investigation documented 28 cases of injuries suffered due to police force, 15 of which were under investigation by France's police watchdog, the Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN). According to Reuters, police had arrested 6,877 people during more than two weeks of unrest, most of them minors. The cases involved rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas, batons and police charges on horseback.

It further reported two cases of eye injuries caused by rubber bullets. The investigation also examined the case of a 14-year-old boy in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône who suffered a broken jaw and multiple damaged teeth after being struck in the face by a tear gas grenade fired by a police officer.

Police also accused violent and criminal elements of exploiting the protests.

What has been the government's response, and what happens next?

Following the October 17 violence, Macron condemned looting and attacks on public buildings. "Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," he said in a televised address on October 18, according to AP. The government also ordered an investigation into possible failures in intelligence gathering and security planning that may have left authorities unprepared for the scale of the violence. Measures included increased police deployment, localised curfews and possible restrictions on demonstrations.

However, the protests continued. On November 5, trade unions, high school and university students, Yellow Vest activists and farmers staged another nationwide mobilisation over wages and the cost of living. Le Monde reported that 193 marches were held across France. The Interior Ministry estimated the turnout at 575,000, while the CGT put the figure at 1.6 million. The demonstrations also reflected wider demands to defend the right to protest.

The student movement has also continued to disrupt schools. In a November 13 report, Le Monde said the government had recorded disruptions at 200 of France's 3,700 high schools during the preceding 15 days. Eighty schools had been regularly but intermittently blocked, while 50 were almost systematically blocked. The Education Ministry also reported that just over 100 high schools had switched to remote learning on Tuesday evening for security reasons.

The same report cited official figures of 360 injured students and 240 injured education staff. It also described continuing incidents involving fires, threats and assaults, alongside complaints from teachers and school administrators about the impact of the unrest on education.

The protests come at a politically sensitive time for Macron. His second presidential term ends in May 2027, and he cannot seek a third consecutive term. France's next presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a second round on May 2 if required.

With public finances under pressure and demands over education, wages and public services continuing, the unrest has become a test of the government's ability to address public grievances while maintaining law and order.