France School Protests Spark Crisis as Hundreds of Schools Close

About 400 schools across France remain closed on Friday, as nationwide student demonstrations over chronic underfunding and deteriorating educational conditions turn increasingly violent. The nationwide movement, which erupted in the Paris region last month, has led to approximately 2,000 arrests and scores of injuries, setting off a major political crisis for the government as it prepares for difficult budget negotiations.

Student Demonstrations Lead to Hundreds of School Closures

The French Interior Ministry reported that 1,027 of the country’s roughly 3,700 high schools were affected by demonstrations on Thursday, with at least 222 educational facilities physically blockaded by students. Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed on France 2 that a little over 400 schools and establishments would stay closed on Friday. The demonstrations, which initially centered on peaceful blockades and demands for better classroom resources, have escalated into widespread public order disturbances in several major cities.

In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, unrest intensified outside the Saint-Exupery high school, where crowds forced firefighters to abandon their vehicle before setting it ablaze. Public transport in Marseille was temporarily suspended after transit staff sustained injuries during the clashes. Fire crews also responded to a school set on fire in Nantes, while facades at educational facilities suffered fire damage in Le Havre and Paris, where entrances at the Leonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard high schools were damaged by flames on Friday morning.

Authorities Blame Left-Wing Party for Organizing Civil Unrest

French authorities have drawn a sharp distinction between the initial student grievances and the ensuing civil unrest. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told RTL radio that officials are dealing with an active and violent minority whose members may not even be high school students. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office revealed that intelligence services briefed a crisis meeting on Thursday, assessing that the demonstrations have been organized by the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party and its ultra-left proxies—an allegation denied by LFI leaders.

The wave of protests coincides with intense fiscal pressure on the government, which is attempting to implement a fiscal adjustment of 54 billion euros ($60.8 billion) in its 2027 budget. Finance Minister Roland Lescure noted that the planned savings include freezing wages for public sector workers, such as teachers. France currently operates under the European Union’s excessive deficit procedure, struggling to rein in budget deficits and debt limits that exceed bloc rules. Education Minister Geffray acknowledged that the students’ core complaints regarding school infrastructure and staffing are legitimate at the outset, even as the interior ministry categorized the widespread street confrontations as urban violence.

Clashes Leave Dozens of Staff and Students Injured

The clashes have resulted in dozens of injuries among both protesters and law enforcement. The education ministry reported that 65 education staff members have been injured, including 40 school principals. Separately, an official investigation is underway in Val d’Oise following an incident where a 14-year-old boy sustained severe jaw and mouth injuries after allegedly being beaten by police and struck by a rubber-bullet launcher.

Education Minister Geffray is scheduled to meet with representatives from teachers’ unions, parent associations, and student organizations on Friday to initiate direct dialogue. Meanwhile, student unions have denounced what they describe as heavy-handed police tactics and the use of tear gas outside schools, calling for a reinforced day of mass demonstrations under the slogan “Police out of schools!” on Tuesday, October 6.

More on this story: France High School Protests Turn Violent as Schools Burn and Headteacher Attacked · Loire-Atlantique Student Protests Leave 18 Arrests After Unrest