By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-01 19:50:10 | Updated at 2026-10-02 02:52:44
7 hours ago
Dozens of people have been injured amid nationwide protests in France as high school students strike over under-resourced schools.
Police have arrested hundreds of protesters, according to the Associated Press (AP). French officials said the number of arrests currently sits at 440, with many of the protesters being minors, the BBC reported. In addition, 76 people have been hurt, with at least 10 teachers and several students having been injured on Tuesday alone, according to the outlet.
In one instance, a teacher at Victor Hugo High School in Marseilles suffered injuries after allegedly being doused with petrol, The Independent reported. A group of protestors also allegedly set a fire truck ablaze after it had arrived to extinguish a fire at Saint-Exupery High School, leading to firefighters fleeing the scene.
Additionally, video shared on X appeared to show smoke from a fire at an electrical junction after protestors purportedly blew a cable. The video has been viewed over 400,000 times as of writing.
Ça brûle dans le 9eme . Ils ont pété un
Câble pic.twitter.com/sFlKKcv3jB
Salama Gargouri, 18, reacted to the protests occurring in France, telling the AP that students were frustrated with “overloaded schedules, the system, the teachers, people who don’t listen to us, [and] the university application process.” Staff shortages and dilapidated school buildings have also prompted the riots, according to The Independent, which cited the prosecutor’s office.
In another video shared on X, a large group of young people appear to be protesting and chanting, “We are all children of Gaza,” according to the translated caption. (RELATED: Terror Suspects Arrested Outside UK Air Base Released On Bail)
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called a crisis meeting Thursday amid the social unrest, the AP reported. Education Minister Édouard Geffray ordered classes to be held remotely in instances in which damage to schools proves too severe and impacts students.
High school students in France typically attend classes from 8 a.m. until the late afternoon. Student unions have purportedly encouraged students to protest, which has affected 350 schools, according to The Independent.
In Aude, a department in the Occitanie region of southern France, twelve people were arrested after projectiles, including fireworks, were allegedly thrown during a protest, the outlet reported.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has ordered police to stop the violence and vandalism and end blockades preventing students from attending classes, the AP reported.
The violent student strike comes as France heads into the final months before its April 2026 presidential election. According to the outlet France 24, polling shows the National Rally’s Marine Le Pen — a staunch nationalist and immigration restrictionist — widening her lead over centrist candidate Édouard Philippe and socialist Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Le Pen is currently capturing over one-third of the electorate in the first round of presidential voting and would easily defeat Philippe or Mélenchon in a hypothetical second-round head-to-head contest.
