A student protest that began in France, demanding improvements to the condition of school buildings, increased education funding, and adequate furniture in classrooms, has escalated into the largest student uprising in the country's history.
Protesters pointed to the critical state of educational institutions: some schools experienced flooding, had rats, and lacked doors in their toilets. These issues prompted students at the Kretelet school to block the gates on September 21, leading to the lockdown of over 1200 schools.
The situation intensified on Tuesday, October 6. According to the government, 266,000 people took to the streets, with 56,000 located only in Paris. Organizers estimated the number of participants at 450,000. Clashes between police and students occurred in cities including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Rennes, and Toulouse, during which water cannons and tear gas were used.
Education Minister Édouard Geoffroy reported that 24 schools have been burned or damaged so far, 78 staff members have been injured, and the education of 30,000 students is at risk. Furthermore, classes are completely suspended in 500 schools.
The protests gained further momentum after an incident in Lens where a 15-year-old student's arm was severed by a piece of police grenade, which the student reportedly picked up. Another case occurred in Paris where a 14-year-old student broke his teeth from tear gas. The total number of arrests exceeded 6,500 people, 85% of whom were minors. Only 488 people were detained on a single Tuesday.
In response to the police actions, Interior Minister Laurent Nunen defended the law enforcement intervention, stating that they acted where violence was occurring. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu gave a mixed assessment of the situation, saying that the police would act in areas of violence, while simultaneously announcing a one-week suspension of classes in schools. President Macron also convened an emergency meeting on the matter.
On the other hand, student unions announced new protests for Thursday. An additional catalyst for discontent was the planned 54 billion euro cut to the education budget by the government in 2027. Ahead of elections scheduled in six months, the issue of schools is becoming the main political crisis for Macron's ruling administration.