French high school students blockaded dozens of schools and public sector workers went on strike on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, protesting planned government budget cuts just seven months before the nation’s presidential election.
Blockaded Entrances and Tear Gas Outside 330 Schools
The demonstrations disrupted more than 330 high schools nationwide, equating to just under one in 10 schools affected across the country. Pupils mobilized against overcrowded classrooms and persistent teacher shortages, leading to tense confrontations in several major cities.
In northern France, masked pupils gathered outside the Lycée César Baggio in Lille, setting bins on fire. Riot police kept watch over student demonstrations in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, while teenagers piled up dozens of garbage containers to block entrances to the Lycée Gabriel Guist’hau in Nantes.
Clashes Flare From Paris to Marseille
Similar standoffs and clashes unfolded at the Lycée Arago in Paris and outside schools in Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lyon. Protesters hurled bottles, paving stones, and various objects at police, who responded with tear gas. Across the country, 40 protesters were arrested, and 10 individuals—including students and staff—sustained injuries. In one lycee in the Paris suburbs, teachers formed a protective line around protesting students to shield them from police intervention.
Students carried banners criticizing the administration of President Emmanuel Macron and decrying law enforcement tactics. At the Hélène-Boucher school in Paris, a banner read “Fewer cops, More money.”
“We want fewer police because we think there is a huge amount of police repression, both against high school student movements and social movements more generally,” said Mael Breton, a final-year student at the Hélène-Boucher school, pointing to broader systemic shortfalls. “This is a real problem, especially when there is such a lack of funding… here at our school and in the national education system more broadly.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the high school blockades on Monday as irresponsible, while acknowledging that the difficulties faced by secondary schools must be heard and addressed.
Public Sector Strikes and Firefighter Outrage
The student movement converged with industrial action by public sector employees, who walked off the job to protest an impending government austerity push.
Professional firefighters joined marchers in multiple cities, arguing that this summer’s huge wildfires exposed dangerous resource gaps within emergency services. Civil aviation authorities also warned of flight disruption at some airports.
According to the Ministry of National Education, roughly 11 percent of teachers and school staff joined the strike. Participation among other civil servants remained below one in 10, with hospital staff turnout even lower as the loss of a day’s pay deterred workers from stopping work. French teachers are paid less on average than many European peers, adding to long-standing grievances.
Unions Issue 48-Hour Ultimatum Ahead of Budget
Tuesday’s demonstrations arrived just two days before the government is scheduled to unveil its draft 2027 budget. President Macron and his centre-right government face consistently deep dissatisfaction in opinion polls.
The unrest is driven by a broader 54-billion-euro ($61bn) savings drive aimed at reining in France’s fiscal deficit after economic growth fell short of expectations this year. As part of this fiscal tightening, the government proposes freezing the base salaries of state employees in 2027 to achieve a 2-billion-euro ($2.2bn) savings push. Trade unions note this marks the fourth consecutive annual pay freeze and the eighth during Macron’s presidency, resulting in a double-digit loss of purchasing power over time.
Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT union, sharply criticized the administration’s fiscal policy during an appearance on BFMTV.
“This summer, who was on the front line? It wasn’t the billionaires, the big bosses or the shareholders. It was civil servants and working people. And how are they being thanked? By cutting their pay? The anger is enormous,” Binet said.
Binet issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to withdraw the planned spending cuts or face further strike action.
Related reading
- Argentina Gives UK Two-Week Ultimatum Over Falklands Oil Project
- Viral evasion step dance trend causes cruciate ligament tears
- World Watcher Live recalls the history and evolution of public webcams (world-today-news.com)
- Judiciary Police Investigate Death of French Tourist on Porto Santo Sailboat (time.news)
