French police brace for nationwide student marches as protest crisis deepens
October 6, 2026 at 09:29 AM · Updated 10d ago
8 reports · 1 in Arabic, 7 in English · over 14 hours
Tear gas in Paris and Marseille as school protests spread and grow across France
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'There are now thousands of people': At the scene of student protests in Lille
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France protests: What we know as schools face nationwide action
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How dilapidated are French schools and how bad is inequality in the education system?
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Demonstrators clash with riot police in France as education protests mount
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On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police
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تصعيد طلابي في فرنسا.. عشرات الآلاف يستعدون للتظاهر وإجراءات أمنية مشددة
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Unprecedented student protests are rocking France. Here’s why they’re angry
(opens the publisher’s site)Tens of thousands of French high school students are expected to march across the country Tuesday as police deploy 2,000 officers in Paris.
- The movement began in September at a Paris-area high school over staff shortages and has spread nationwide, damaging more than 100 schools.
- Authorities have detained more than 5,000 people, mostly minors, with 215 students and over 700 police officers injured.
- Amnesty International urged French authorities on Monday to end what it called excessive police repression during the protests.
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray met student leaders Friday with no agreement, prompting calls for Tuesday's mass turnout.
- Students barricaded the Lycée Sophie-Germain in Paris with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys on Tuesday.
- Ten investigations have been opened into alleged police brutality during the protests.
- Demonstrators also voiced opposition to far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
- Police fired tear gas as protests turned violent in Strasbourg, Lyon, and Rennes, with protesters lighting fires and hurling projectiles.
- The Interior Ministry reported over 6,100 arrests since the protests began, up from the earlier 5,000 figure.
- Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered ministers to address demands and promised to tackle 'legitimate' complaints.
- The government reported disruption in 891 high schools and over 250,000 demonstrators, while students' unions claimed 450,000 participants.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused the radical-left France Unbowed party of seeking to 'sow chaos' ahead of presidential elections.