French high school and university students mobilized on Thursday for what organizers are calling the fourth round of protests, intensifying pressure on the government to improve education funding. The demonstrations come just two days after a massive turnout, during which the administration attempted to de-escalate the crisis with a series of conciliatory measures.
The call for renewed action follows growing frustration among student unions, who argue that the government’s recent gestures have lacked concrete substance. Leaders have urged meetings with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu but lamented the absence of specific policy commitments in response to their demands.
Tensions have already escalated significantly, particularly regarding police conduct. A viral video showed Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of Saint-Denis, physically shielding young protesters from police lines in central Paris on Tuesday. The hard-left politician, a member of the France Unbowed party, was filmed shouting at officers to stop as they prepared to charge the demonstrators.
“They had decided to charge and effectively go after the students, many of whom had shown no aggressive behaviour whatsoever toward the police officers,” Bagayoko told Reuters from his town hall office. He highlighted his support for youth in the working-class suburb north of Paris.
In response to the severity of the clashes, authorities suspended the use of stun grenades at student protests. However, new incidents have continued to emerge. An investigation has been opened after a 17-year-old boy suffered a head injury on Wednesday outside a secondary school in Marseille, according to the local public prosecutor’s office.
Prime Minister Lecornu addressed the nation on television, defending the police response and denying allegations that law enforcement had received instructions to crack down on teenage protesters. Despite these assurances, several teacher unions have joined student groups in calling for nationwide strikes, signaling that the dispute over education resources is far from resolved.
Suspension of stun grenades sounds good, but a teenager losing his sight is a terrible reality. Someone needs to be held accountable.
Is it actually about funding now, or has this spiraled into a broader political power struggle? The teacher unions joining complicates everything.
I’m surprised the government isn’t backing down yet. With the mayor shielding students on video, public sentiment clearly isn’t on their side.
The fact that they are back for a fourth round proves the initial concessions were just empty gestures. This won’t end with photos.