Authorities in France have detained hundreds of individuals as student demonstrations over deteriorating school conditions escalated into widespread unrest. High school pupils in multiple cities have resorted to setting fires and establishing blockades to protest overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, and crumbling infrastructure.
Regional education officials and union representatives reported that several school principals faced harassment, injury, or assault during Thursday’s blockades at high schools. Police confirmed that numerous protesters had been taken into custody at lycees, which serve students aged 15 to 18 during their final three years of secondary education.
In Marseille, local authorities stated that teachers were accidentally splashed with petrol at Victor Hugo high school when a student attempted to ignite a rubbish bin. The prosecutor’s office had previously indicated that educators were assaulted and doused in the flammable liquid. Meanwhile, at Saint-Exupery high school in the same city, a crowd of hundreds surrounded a firetruck responding to a blaze, forcing firefighters to abandon the vehicle before it was set ablaze.
Further north, firefighters extinguished a blaze at a high school entrance in Nantes following what regional education officials described as a violent gathering targeting staff. In Strasbourg, trams were suspended to limit the movement of demonstrators, while students burned barriers placed on the tram tracks.
Raphael, a 17-year-old protester in Strasbourg who requested anonymity due to fears of retaliation, highlighted the dire conditions driving the anger. He told AFP that classrooms hold 35 students and reach temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer, while water leaks and insufficient toilets add to the discomfort. He described the building as falling apart with no budget or resources for supervisors or adequate cafeteria space.
By mid-morning on Thursday, police reported that approximately 340 demonstrations were taking place outside high schools, with more than 160 schools forced to close. University students also participated, blocking access to roughly 30 campuses, including those in Paris and Marseille, according to a student union.
Dozens of injuries have been reported, stemming from thrown objects and police riot-control projectiles. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced that internal investigations have been launched regarding allegations of brutality involving three students. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting and directed ministers to cancel scheduled official travel to focus on managing the demonstrations.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray plans to meet with staff unions and parent and student associations on Friday. The unrest intersects with the political race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron next May. The government has accused the far-left France Unbowed party of instigating the protests, while presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon stated his party advocated for nonviolent methods and criticized the government’s response as repressive.
I remember my own lycée days, but this level of chaos is new. Does anyone think burning down a school actually helps get the resources they need?
35 students per class? That explains so much. But arson and assaulting staff with petrol crosses a line. This needs defusing, not more detentions.
Violence against teachers is unacceptable. If the government won’t fix these crumbling schools, at least stop using students as political pawns.