By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-06 13:46:17 | Updated at 2026-10-06 14:40:25
1 hour ago
Students, parents and trade unions have taken to the streets in protests across France today, forcing hundreds of schools to close over what protesters describe as chronic under-investment in schools and universities across the nation.
France’s interior ministry estimated some 86,000 people had joined protests across more than 30 towns and cities, with tens of thousands more expected to march in Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Lyon and Paris.
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), one of the groups organising the protests, said 1,800 high schools were either blockaded or closed by the Education Ministry, and claimed that 90 per cent of universities were blockaded.
Meanwhile, the French government has reported a considerably lower figure, saying classes had been suspended either fully or partially at 891 schools across France.
Regardless, the USL said the mobilisation had reached "a new record", and follow a week of increasingly tense confrontations between students and police.
At least 215 people have been injured and more than 5,000 arrested over the week, and on Friday it reported that more than 30 universities and more than 600 high schools had been blocked.
Just yesterday, a 15-year-old student in the northern town of Lens lost a hand, reportedly after a sting-ball grenade was used during a confrontation between students and police.
In Strasbourg today, police and protesters were involved in scuffles, with reports that firecrackers were thrown at officers.
France’s interior ministry estimated some 86,000 people had joined protests across more than 30 towns and cities
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Meanwhile in Lyon, protesters and riot police confronted one another, while a barricade was set alight. Bins were also burned in Lille.
In Rennes, images showed riot police using water cannon during clashes, with some protesters attempting to shield themselves with umbrellas.
A student in Paris told the BBC: "I am very scared for the future".
In Rennes, images showed riot police using water cannon during clashes
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The protests have also drawn parents into the movement. In several cities, relatives of student protesters have joined demonstrations as part of a "Parents Present" campaign.
The USL is demanding the creation of 150,000 additional higher-education places, €10 billion (£8.4 billion) in emergency funding to rebuild schools and "mass hiring" of teachers.
In Strasbourg today, police and protesters were involved in scuffles, with reports that firecrackers were thrown at officers
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Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has sought to address some of the protesters' concerns, ordering ministers to examine demands including the replacement of absent teachers, the length of the 10-hour school day and the provision of longer lunch breaks.
The government has also pledged to examine repairs to ageing school buildings, with ministers given until the end of October to produce initial proposals.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray launched a national consultation with high school students yesterday, saying it was essential "to take into account the diversity of their school experiences", and that the process would allow the government "to listen to their proposals and to build concrete solutions with them".
In several cities, relatives of student protesters have joined demonstrations as part of a 'Parents Present' campaign
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Meanwhile, France's National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) has urged the government to strengthen dialogue with protesters.
The body expressed "serious concern" about the "disproportionate use of force and procedural abuses", calling for the state's response to remain targeted and proportionate.
It also urged the government to pursue de-escalation and said children's right to express their views freely must be protected.
