More than 600 people were detained and dozens of security personnel were injured across France as high school blockades against staff shortages and dilapidated buildings escalated into violent clashes with riot police, interior ministry officials reported.
Blockades, Petrol Attacks, and Clashes Spread Nationwide
What began last week as localized student demonstrations in Paris over inadequate school conditions transformed into a nationwide crisis. Attackers doused a headteacher in petrol and started fires in at least two schools, officials said. In Marseille, hundreds of young people surrounded a fire truck that had arrived to put out a blaze. Transport services, including buses, trams, and metro lines in Marseille, were suspended due to acts of vandalism and assaults on drivers during the morning disturbances.
The unrest expanded further on Thursday as university students joined the movement, blocking physical access to around 30 campuses in cities including Paris and Marseille. Tuesday alone saw 440 people detained across national territory, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stating that detainees were mostly minors. Nunez added that seven incidents involved individuals throwing hydrochloric acid at law enforcement officers. The demonstrations coincided with a broader public-sector strike opposing government budget plans.
Classroom Grievances Meet Unpopular Budget Cuts
Students across the country voiced mounting frustration over poor facility maintenance and heavy workloads. Fadila, a 17-year-old student, described conditions where cockroaches and rats infested the buildings and classroom temperatures swung wildly between sweltering and freezing. Protesting students carried banners reading complaints such as “8am-6pm. More hours of lessons than sleep,” pointing to exhausting daily timetables. Gamze, another 17-year-old student in Saint-Denis, told Reuters that students in historically working-class suburbs felt unfairly treated compared with peers in Paris or the countryside.
The timing of the protests heightened political tensions. The demonstrations coincided with the introduction of the government’s 2027 budget, which announced a series of deep spending cuts. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting on Thursday afternoon, urging ministers to cancel travel plans so prefects could manage the situation.
Political Fallout and Government Response
The unrest triggered sharp divisions among political figures. Politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed party joined the demonstrations, with Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko leading students in a rendition of the national anthem at Lycee Paul-Eluard and describing the protests as completely legitimate. Prime Minister Lecornu condemned the intervention of figures like Jean-Luc Melenchon on X, calling it an “irresponsible escalation” and stating that elected officials have a duty to protect young people and call for calm. Interior Minister Nunez criticized troublemakers moving from school to school to incite violence.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray called for schools to hold classes remotely if protesters continued to block premises, emphasizing that violence would not deny students their fundamental right to education. 83 police officers and gendarmes were wounded on Wednesday alone, while the total number of affected schools reached 356. Authorities confirmed that hundreds of teenagers remained in police custody as prefectures across France braced for further demonstrations.
| Metric | Reported Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Detentions (Wednesday) | 625 people | Reported by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez |
| Police Injuries (Wednesday) | 83 officers | Wounded during nationwide high school blockades |
| Affected Schools | 356 establishments | Impacted by protests and blockades |
| Public Spending Cuts | €54 million | Contained in the government’s 2027 budget plans |
