By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-01 23:45:51 | Updated at 2026-10-02 07:13:11
7 hours ago
Fears are growing for the state of France after out-of-control riots saw youths "lynch" police officers, destroy buildings and set fire engines alight in yet another day of carnage.
Secondary school students across the country have been taking to the streets in recent days to cause carnage.
They are said to be protesting against overcrowded class sizes, heavy workloads and shortages of teaching staff - but footage on the ground lays bare the reality: Mass violence against the state and innocent members of the public.
On Thursday, disorder once again erupted across the country, including in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lyon and Lille.
France's Prime Minister called a crisis meeting and cancelled ministers' trips to focus on the nationwide unrest.
Thousands of arrests have now been made in connection to the riots, with a French secuirty source telling CNews there has been "an intensification" of unrest, with "a shift with a change in discourse, more radical" and "urban violence around schools".
Shocking videos have emerged showing a number of violent incidents, including a pack of thugs chasing a policewoman through the streets before attacking as she lay on the ground.
The youths can be heard in the footage shouting "Wallah, kill her" as they launched the vicious assault.
Further footage shows yobs using deodorant as makeshift flamethrowers against women, and beating teachers in the street.
Intelligence services are blaming French far-left parties for fanning the flames of rioting.
National Rally president Jordan Bardella voiced his fury at the scenes on social media, writing: "The images of a policewoman chased down the street and lynched on the ground this morning in Paris illustrate what France has become after decades of laxity and mass immigration.
Secondary school students across the country have been taking to the streets in recent days
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"How long will we tolerate this barbarity? How long will we let our country sink without reacting?"
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the attack as "intolerable" and vowed that the perpetrators would be "found and brought to justice".
Since Monday, almost 2,000 arrests have been made in connection to the disorder, with 305 security personnel injured after suffering "unbridled violence", Mr Nunez confirmed.
A number of school buildings across the country have been set alight by rioters, causing tens of millions of pounds worth of damage.
The Nelson Mandela High School in Nantes, built just 12 years ago at the cost of €77million (£65.5million), was one of the schools engulfed in flames on Thursday.
A pack of thugs chased a policewoman through the streets before attacking as she lay on the ground
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The Nelson Mandela High School in Nantes, built in 2014, was one of the school engulfed in flames
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The Nelson Mandela school was left gutted by feral youths
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Firefighters attempting to put out blazes also came under attack, with rioters seen throwing missiles and torching fire engines.
The French Education Minister has confirmed that more than 400 schools across the country will be shut down on Friday amid fears of further unrest.
The French Government has blamed Jean-Luc Melenchon's France Unbowed for "irresponsible escalation".
Intelligence services said they believe the movement is an "organised manoeuvre" by his party and "its ultra-left proxies".
Mr Melenchon has denied encouraging disorder and has claimed he is "in favour of non-violent methods of struggle".
The far-left leader, rather than expressing his sympathy for the firefighters and teachers under attack, said: "I am very worried about the police violence against young people.
Firefighters attempting to put out blazes also came under attack, with rioters seen throwing missiles and torching fire engines
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The French Government has blamed Jean-Luc Melenchon's France Unbowed for 'irresponsible escalation'
"One young person has already been blinded in one eye.
"Most of us are parents. What if it were our own?"
Across the Channel, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was "horrified by the violence" surging on the streets of France.
He warned: "This is what happens when hard-left politicians allow thuggery to spiral out of control. This will never happen in Britain under Reform."
Meanwhile, the party's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the scenes should serve "as a warning to Britain".
He said: "Unless we have political leaders brave enough to stand up to these people and take action, scenes like the ones in France will come to Britain too. Britain needs Reform."
