French police arrest 440 people as high school protests and strikes spread nationwide

Nationwide blockades and clashes

Police arrested 440 people across France on Tuesday, 29 September, as demonstrations and blockades disrupted high schools throughout the country. The action followed a wave of demonstrations on Monday, 28 September, when authorities recorded 164 arrests and disruptions at 180 schools. Students set fire to rubbish bins and barricaded entrances with trash containers in cities including Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Paris. Police responded with tear gas and batons after facing thrown bottles, paving stones, firecrackers, and mortar fireworks. The Interior Ministry reported that 48 members of the security forces sustained injuries during the unrest, with officers targeted by hydrochloric acid in seven separate instances.

Demands over staffing and classroom conditions

The student mobilization originated in the Seine-Saint-Denis department near Paris before spreading nationwide via social media platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat. High school pupils are protesting overcrowded classrooms, staff shortages, long schedules, and uncooled rooms during recent heatwaves. Outside the Lycee Lamartine in northern Paris, demonstrators carried signs protesting eight-to-six daily schedules. The Ministry of National Education counted 416 schools affected throughout Tuesday, with 338 still disrupted by the end of the day, including 45 fully blockaded and 46 facing blockade attempts. The ministry reported 31 injuries among students and school staff on Tuesday, including an incident in Val-d'Oise where a teenager suffered severe dental injuries after being struck in the face by a police flash-ball projectile.

Political clash over police response

The confrontations prompted sharp disagreements among French political leaders regarding the scale of the police response. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez defended police conduct during an appearance on BFMTV, stating that two-thirds of the 440 detentions resulted in formal police custody.

Violence is never legitimate. There is nothing that justifies violence. There is nothing that justifies showing up in front of schools hooded, with faces disguised, armed with projectiles, waiting for security forces to arrive to attack them.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu criticized attempts to escalate the demonstrations, writing on X that nothing justifies endangering students, school personnel, or police officers. France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon condemned the government's handling of the protests and called on local elected officials to support the demonstrating youth.

The high school students protesting are harmless. The Lecornu government has ordered a crackdown. This brutality is irresponsible and has a clear racist undertone. Hands off our youth.

Convergence with public sector budget strike

Tuesday's high school mobilization coincided with a nationwide strike called by French public sector trade unions against upcoming budget reductions. The government plans 54 billion euros in broad austerity measures, including a 2-billion-euro savings target that maintains a freeze on base salaries for state employees. The Education Ministry stated that roughly 11% of teaching and school staff participated in Tuesday's walkout. Professional firefighters and transport personnel also joined street demonstrations in multiple cities. General Confederation of Labour leader Sophie Binet gave the government 48 hours to withdraw its proposed cuts before the draft 2027 budget is formally presented.