French Students Stage Major Protests Across Country, Clash With Police

On Thursday, students staged major demonstrations across France, including a mass rally at Paris' Place de la Bastille, which began peacefully but later led to clashes with police, involving tear gas and a water cannon.

Students also barricaded Helene Boucher High School in northeastern Paris with trash bins before police broke up the protest with tear gas. The Education Ministry reported 375 schools were fully or partially closed on Thursday, though the number of blockades decreased from 224 in the morning to 157 by lunchtime, meaning 96 percent of schools were open.

Thousands of students demonstrated in Paris, with large crowds also gathering in cities including Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Toulon, and Marseille. The movement, now in its third week, began in mid-September in lower-income Parisian suburbs, driven by complaints over long school days, overcrowded schools, teacher absences, and dilapidated classrooms. High-school teacher Diane Di Sciullo, who joined a march in Marseille, stated she had 37 students in her class and had to ask them to find spare chairs and desks.

The Interior Ministry reports more than 6,600 arrests since late September, with most arrested students under 18. Police have used tear gas, batons, and blast balls, leading human rights groups and children to accuse officers of using excessive force. Following an incident where a teenager's hand was blown off, the government suspended the use of stun grenades for crowd control on Wednesday.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray met with students and teachers and announced an emergency plan to ensure absent teachers can be replaced long-term. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised a concrete, rapid and fully funded response by the end of the month, but students stated the government's reaction was not sufficient. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party, declared the Bastille has been retaken after the Paris rally and called for further action on Tuesday, October 13. France summoned Iran's ambassador on Wednesday over an Iranian disinformation campaign targeting the student movement.