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Student protests across France have escalated into violent confrontations, with nearly 2,000 people arrested in a single day and hundreds of students, education workers and security personnel reported injured.
French authorities recorded 1,949 arrests on Thursday, October 1, as demonstrations over poor school conditions spread nationwide, leading to clashes with police, fires and damage to school buildings.
Daily Sun had earlier reported that hundreds of schools across France were closed as students protested teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school facilities.
The demonstrations began on September 21 at Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil, southeast of Paris, after complaints about unfilled teaching positions. They subsequently spread to other schools in the Paris region and across the country.
According to reports from French authorities, 65 education staff members, including 40 school principals, and 170 students had been injured since the protests began. The Interior Ministry separately reported that 305 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured during Thursday’s unrest.
More than 1,000 high schools were affected by strikes or protests on Thursday, including 222 blockades, according to the Education Ministry. About 400 schools were expected to remain closed on Friday because of disruptions, damage or safety concerns.
Students say the demonstrations are driven by overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, poorly maintained buildings, inadequate resources and long school days. Other concerns include extreme classroom temperatures during recent heatwaves and difficulties with the online university application system.
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At Lycée Voltaire in Paris, students barricaded the entrance with wheelie bins, preventing lessons from taking place. Some demonstrators said they would rather protest than continue studying in conditions they consider unacceptable.
“We just want to be listened to by the government,” a 17-year-old student identified by the pseudonym Sophia told journalists, adding that she hoped the demonstrations would develop into a wider youth protest movement.
The unrest has also raised concerns over the safety of students and school staff. Police have used tear gas to disperse protesters in some locations, while fires and clashes have been reported around school entrances.
An investigation was launched after a 14-year-old boy in Val-d’Oise suffered serious injuries to his mouth and jaw during a confrontation involving police. The boy’s family lawyer alleged that officers beat him and fired a rubber-bullet launcher.
The French government has acknowledged that students have legitimate concerns about school conditions but condemned violence and destruction of property.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin described the situation as a public-order disturbance, while Education Minister Édouard Geffray warned that the protests had been overtaken by violent groups.
Despite the government’s response, students have indicated that they intend to continue their demonstrations into next week, insisting that authorities must address the problems affecting their education.
