France suspends high school classes after 260,000 protest as student strikes reach Italy

Turnout disputes and school blockades across France

On 6 October, France experienced its third round of nationwide student mobilizations, leading to school disruptions across the country. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) estimated that 260,000 protesters joined marches across roughly 30 cities, while the Ministry of the Interior counted 86,000 participants in morning demonstrations. Disruption affected hundreds of secondary institutions, with the Union syndicale lycéenne reporting that 1,800 of the 3,700 high schools in France were blocked. The Ministry of Education provided a lower tally, stating that 891 high schools had partially or entirely halted classes. In central Paris, students barricaded the entrance to the Henri IV high school using waste bins, displaying banners demanding educational funding rather than wealth privileges.

Clashes in regional capitals and scrutiny of police methods

Tensions surfaced during marches in multiple French cities as groups broke away from peaceful demonstrations. Police in Rennes used tear gas at Place Charles-de-Gaulle to disperse groups of demonstrators dressed in black. In Lyon, regional authorities arrested eight people for vandalism and the transport of incendiary devices after a bonfire stopped a procession at Place Guichard. At the Paris march from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, political figures joined the crowds. La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon praised the demonstrating students directly.

You are doing an incredible thing.

The police oversight body IGPN opened 10 inquiries into police conduct following injuries caused by rubber bullets and blast grenades, including cases of a severed hand and lost eye. Following police deployments in Paris, Socialist Party secretary Olivier Faure criticized the government's security response, while his party introduced a bill to ban non-lethal projectile weapons against minors.

When the future shows up at our doors, we must not wait for it with a baton.

Government pauses instruction to enable school debates

Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that high school classes across France would be suspended through the rest of the week. Education Minister Édouard Geffray cancelled normal classes for Wednesday morning, Thursday, and Friday. Lecornu explained that the suspension allows school administrative teams and headmasters to dedicate structured time to internal democratic forums with students. Student groups and supporting trade unions have demanded higher budget allocations for schools as the country approaches presidential elections scheduled in just over six months. Demonstrations in regional hubs gathered thousands, with fifteen-year-old Selma explaining her presence at the Marseille march.

Today I am demonstrating because I fear for my future and I want to claim my rights.

Student collectives expand actions to Italian cities

Student organizations in Italy initiated solidarity protests and school occupations mirroring the French movement. In Rome, students at Liceo Scientifico Cavour voted to occupy their building on 6 October following an extraordinary morning assembly. Members of the Opposizione Studentesca d'Alternativa (OSA) collective stated that the occupation responded to police entries into schools, disciplinary sanctions, and government education policies under draft law 1002. Student assemblies and pickets took place at several other Rome institutions, including the Avogadro, Newton, Enzo Rossi, and Tullio Levi Civita high schools. These actions built on school occupations launched on 5 October in Turin at the Carlo Ignazio Giulio and Regina Margherita high schools. Italian student groups organized further planning meetings in Rome's San Lorenzo district, citing complaints over school budgets, cost of living, and military spending.