A student union said more than half of French high schools were blockaded or closing as nationwide demonstrations drew more than 250,000 people.
PARIS, FRANCE — Police fired tear gas at protesters outside French high schools Tuesday as a rapidly expanding student movement brought widespread school closures, mass demonstrations and clashes with security forces across the country.
The High School Students Union said more than half of France’s high schools were blockaded or would close for the day, according to Reuters. The government did not immediately provide a comparable figure for blockades, and official figures showed a smaller number of schools with suspended classes. The Education Ministry said classes were totally or partially suspended at 891 schools Tuesday. The Interior Ministry estimated 256,000 people joined demonstrations nationwide, including 56,000 in Paris.
The Oct. 6 demonstrations marked the largest day yet in a protest movement that began in the Paris suburbs in September and quickly spread across France. Students have complained about teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, aging buildings, long school days and unequal access to educational resources. Some schools have reported problems ranging from leaking buildings and inadequate classroom equipment to rat infestations. The movement has also drawn support from parents, teachers and labor unions.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told lawmakers that at least 215 teenagers and 85 school employees had been injured in clashes since the protests began. His office said more than 700 police officers also had been injured. The Interior Ministry said more than 6,100 people had been arrested since the start of the movement, most of them minors. The Justice Ministry said more than 1,800 people, including 1,483 minors, were being prosecuted for unspecified offenses.
Violence broke out Tuesday in several cities, although large portions of the demonstrations remained peaceful. In Strasbourg, Lyon, Rennes and Paris, police used tear gas as some protesters threw projectiles and set fires. Paris police said about 300 people attempted to confront security forces and that three storefronts were damaged. The larger Paris demonstration otherwise proceeded largely without violence, according to police and news reports.
Tensions increased after a 15-year-old boy suffered a severe hand injury Monday during an incident involving a police stun grenade in northern France. The injury added to criticism from student organizations, parents and rights groups that police have used excessive force against minors. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has defended the police response as proportionate in almost all cases, saying some demonstrations had deteriorated into riots and required intervention. Authorities have also opened investigations into allegations of police misconduct.
The protests began with complaints about conditions inside individual schools before becoming a broader national movement. A Sept. 21 protest over teacher vacancies at a high school in Créteil, outside Paris, helped trigger actions elsewhere. By Oct. 1, more than 1,000 high schools had been affected by strikes or protests, according to Education Ministry figures reported by Le Monde. Nearly 590 of the country’s roughly 3,700 high schools were still disrupted Monday, a day before the nationwide demonstrations.
Students have described a wide range of problems. Some say absent teachers are not replaced, leaving them without instruction for extended periods. Others have complained about classes with more than 30 students, inadequate school health services, exhausting schedules and deteriorating buildings. The Parcoursup university admissions system also has become a focus of student frustration, with protesters arguing that it creates excessive pressure and can deepen inequalities between students and schools.
The unrest has also become a political challenge for President Emmanuel Macron’s government as France approaches its 2027 presidential election. Government officials have accused outside groups of exploiting legitimate student concerns and contributing to violence. France Unbowed, the hard-left opposition party whose lawmakers have supported the demonstrations, has denied government accusations that it helped organize or provoke the unrest. Student protesters interviewed by French news organizations have also rejected violence and property destruction while continuing to press their demands.
Lecornu has ordered ministers to develop responses to several student complaints, including replacing absent teachers, examining the length of school days and addressing repairs at aging school buildings. He has asked ministers to submit initial proposals by the end of October. The Education Ministry also launched an online portal allowing high school students to describe problems at their schools and propose changes.
The government now faces pressure to address those demands while restoring normal classes and containing further violence. Student organizations have indicated that demonstrations will continue unless authorities produce concrete responses, leaving France’s schools at the center of a widening national dispute over education funding, policing and conditions for young people.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 6, 2026.