France is experiencing a wave of student protests, with demonstrations in multiple locations escalating into violence. Police detained more than 400 individuals—most of them minors— during Tuesday’s protests. According to French authorities, both school employees and students have been injured.
The demonstrations affected hundreds of schools nationwide. Students are demanding changes in the education system, but some protests descended into vandalism, arson, and attacks on police officers.
Over 400 detained, majority are minors
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that the total number of those detained may still climb.
Already, the number has surpassed 400 people.
Available data indicates that around two thirds of those detained remain in police custody. Most are underage high school students.
France has a history of large street protests. Aktualizovane.sk previously reported on incidents in Paris, where police intervened against protesters carrying knives, axes, and flammable substances.
Students block schools, start fires in some areas
Students’ main demands focus on conditions in the French school system.
They are calling for lighter schedules, smaller class sizes, more qualified teachers, and solutions to overheating in school buildings during summer heatwaves.
However, in several places protests turned violent.
According to reports, demonstrators set rubbish bins on fire, damaged bus stops and advertising billboards, and threw bottles and paving stones at police officers.
Police responded with tear gas.
Injuries reported among staff and students
French Education Minister Édouard Geffray condemned the violence.
According to ministry data, at least ten school staff members and several students were injured.
Criminal investigations have been launched in at least two cases over suspected bodily harm.
The scale of the protests is significant.
Disruptions to teaching or protest actions hit about 400 out of roughly 3,700 schools. Entry to 40 schools was completely blocked, and protest attempts to barricade a further 44 were reported.
Tensions in France have, in recent months, extended beyond the education sector. Aktualizovane.sk recently reported that the Eiffel Tower was closed following a workers’ strike.
Government blames far-left
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the protests as a serious problem and warned of further escalation.
He also accused the far-left party “Nepoddajné Francúzsko” of inciting the student unrest and politicizing the youth movement.
This is a claim by the prime minister and the French government and has not been independently verified.
Student organizations, for their part, say the protests are a response to longstanding problems in French education and are calling for talks with the ministry.
Further protests planned in France
The tensions also coincide with nationwide demonstrations and strikes by trade unions against the government’s fiscal policies.
Student organizations have announced plans to continue blockades on Thursday.
French authorities are therefore bracing for another challenging day, with police expected to monitor not only schools but wider protest gatherings.
Source: Info.sk, TASR
Photo: AI generated illustration
This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
