Published : 07 Oct 2026, 03:28 AM
Updated : 07 Oct 2026, 03:28 AM
Police fired tear gas at protesters outside French high schools on Tuesday as students, teachers and parents joined nationwide demonstrations over worsening school conditions, with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu describing them as the most violent protests in decades.
At least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff have been injured in clashes since the protests began, Lecornu told lawmakers. His office said more than 700 police officers had also been hurt.
Demonstrations in Strasbourg, Lyon, Rennes and Paris turned violent at times, with protesters setting fires and throwing projectiles while police responded with tear gas. Paris police said about 300 people had tried to confront security forces, while three shopfronts were damaged.
The protests began in deprived suburbs of Paris in September before spreading across the country. The High School Students Union said more than half of France’s high schools had been blockaded or were due to close for the day, with some education authorities moving classes online.
Students have complained about basic problems including water leaks and rat infestations. Lecornu has ordered ministers to address demands including replacing absent teachers, reviewing the 8am-to-6pm school day and extending lunch breaks, as well as repairing ageing school buildings.
The unrest has also raised concerns over police tactics. Rights groups, students and parents have accused authorities of using excessive force against minors, while the government says outsiders have hijacked the protests and that some demonstrations have descended into urban violence.
France’s interior ministry said 6,100 people had been arrested since the protests began, most of them minors. The justice ministry said more than 1,800 people were being prosecuted, including 1,483 minors.
A 15-year-old teenager lost his hand and part of his lower arm on Monday after reportedly picking up a police grenade during clashes in northern France, according to regional newspaper La Voix du Nord.
President Emmanuel Macron convened Lecornu and senior ministers for an emergency meeting on Tuesday as the government faced growing pressure to respond to the unrest.
The protests come as France struggles with weak growth, high borrowing costs and a widening budget deficit. The government has also struggled to pass a budget since Macron’s allies lost their parliamentary majority in 2024.
France’s 10-year bond yield briefly exceeded 5 percent last week, reaching a 24-year high, as investors focused on the country’s debt and spending. The pressure has also spilled into the wider euro area, while Finance Minister Roland Lescure said there was no need for the European Central Bank to intervene.
Six months before the presidential election to replace Macron, the unrest has become part of a wider political struggle. Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and the government have accused the hard-left France Unbowed party of encouraging the protests, a charge it denies.
