French school protests spread as about 400 schools close amid clashes and fires

At least 400 of France's 3,700 high schools were closed on Friday as a student protest movement spread nationwide and triggered clashes with police, fires and mass detentions. The Ministry of National Education said 560 schools reported protests or disruptions, while fire damaged the entrances of two high schools in Paris. The unrest began in the Paris area last week and has since widened across the country.

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Education Minister Edouard Geffray said students were "in danger" and urged parents to keep them away from the demonstrations. He said at least 170 students and 65 school staff members, including 40 principals, had been wounded, and that more than 100 high schools had suffered severe damage. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said around 2,000 people had been detained so far, the vast majority of them children.

The protests have become a major public order issue because they are affecting a large share of the secondary school system at the same time. Students have been protesting large class sizes, absent teachers and poor conditions, while some schools have moved to remote classes or closed entirely. In Paris, the fire brigade was called to extinguish blazes at the entrances of Leonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard high schools, underlining the scale of the disruption.

The unrest is also unfolding alongside a public sector strike over the government's budget plans, increasing pressure on President Emmanuel Macron before elections next year. That overlap has given the protests a wider political significance, linking school grievances with broader anger over public spending and state services. Rights group Amnesty International said images of students being assaulted by law enforcement were "extremely alarming" and stressed that many of those involved are minors.

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The current wave builds on earlier anger over overcrowding, teacher shortages and inadequate facilities, which students say have made daily school life more difficult. The movement began in high schools in the Paris region and then spread to multiple cities, with police using tear gas during some dispersals. Officials have also accused fringe groups of fuelling violence, while students have said the response has been too heavy-handed.

What remains unclear is how long the closures will last and whether the number of affected schools will rise further if the protests continue. It is also not yet clear whether the authorities will change their policing approach or introduce any new measures on school security and discipline. The next developments to watch are further injury figures, any additional damage reports and whether classes can resume normally in the hardest-hit areas.

French high school protests have widened further, with about 400 establishments expected to close as the movement continued to spread across the country. Fires damaged the entrances to two schools in Paris on Friday, while remote classes were planned in some areas, including Marseille. The unrest began last week in the Paris region and has now reached multiple cities, with students blocking access to schools and confronting police.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said nearly 400 high schools out of 3,700 nationwide were expected to be closed on the day, and he blamed what he called ultra-violent fringe groups for holding the movement hostage. He said at least 65 staff members, including 40 principals, had been injured since the protests began, along with around 170 students. He also said more than 100 high schools had suffered severe damage, while Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said around 2,000 people had been taken into police custody since the start of the unrest.

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The protests have become a significant public order issue because they are affecting a large share of France's secondary schools at the same time. Students say they are protesting long school hours, poor conditions, overheated classrooms and staff absences, while the government says the grievances are legitimate but has condemned the violence. Authorities and students have also traded accusations over policing, with pupils saying tear gas has been used excessively during dispersal operations.

The scale of the disruption matters because the movement is now affecting both school operations and the wider response of law enforcement and the justice system. In the southern city of Marseille, many high schools planned to move classes online, showing how the protests are forcing schools to adapt beyond simple closures. In Paris, the fire brigade was called to extinguish blazes at the entrances of Leonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard high schools, underlining the extent of the damage reported in the capital.

The unrest builds on earlier anger over education conditions, including overcrowding, teacher shortages and inadequate facilities. It has also spread beyond the Paris region, with heavy police presence reported in cities such as Rennes, where students in black clothing and balaclavas gathered outside Jean-Mace high school. The government has framed the protests as a security problem, while students have presented them as a response to long-standing school grievances.

What remains unclear is how long the closures will last and whether the number of affected schools will rise further if the movement continues. It is also not yet clear whether the authorities will change their approach to policing, school security or disciplinary action against those involved. The next developments to watch are any new injury figures, further damage reports and whether classes can resume normally in the hardest-hit areas.

French school protests have widened across the country, with security forces detaining 625 people on Wednesday during blockades and clashes outside high schools. The unrest, which began last week in the Paris region, has now spread to cities including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Lille. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the movement had expanded and condemned what he described as an escalation of violence outside some schools.

Officials said 83 police officers and gendarmes were wounded on Wednesday, while the Education Minister, Edouard Geffray, said 119 students and staff members have been injured since the unrest began. The protests affected 356 schools, according to the interior ministry, and included projectiles being thrown, verbal abuse, attempted arson and other acts of violence. In Lille, police again used tear gas during clashes, while correspondents reported similar tensions in other affected cities.

The demonstrations have been driven by student grievances over timetables, class sizes, teacher shortages and overheated classrooms during this year's heatwaves. Students aged 15 to 18 have been among those taking part, and the protests have become a broader challenge for the government as they spread beyond Île-de-France. Mr Geffray said it was imperative that students be able to return to class, especially those currently prevented from doing so.

The unrest matters because it is unfolding in a sensitive period for the French government and is now affecting a large number of schools at once. President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Madrid, criticised hard-left politicians whom he accused of legitimising violence in the protests. The scale of the detentions and injuries suggests the dispute has moved beyond isolated school blockades and into a wider public order issue.

The protests also build on earlier anger over conditions in the education system, including overcrowding and staff shortages. In the existing unrest, some schools were blocked by pupils and teachers formed protective lines around students in at least one Paris suburb. In Lille, pupils had gathered outside the Lycée César Baggio, while in other cities bins were used to block access to schools.

What remains unclear is how long the protests will continue and whether the government will respond with changes to school policy or security measures. It is also not yet clear whether the number of affected schools will rise further if blockades spread again. The next developments to watch are any new official figures, further injuries, and whether classes can resume normally in the hardest-hit cities.

French students and public sector workers staged protests across France on Tuesday over planned budget cuts, with schools blocked and strikes reported in several cities. The demonstrations came just two days before the government is due to unveil its draft 2027 budget and seven months before the next presidential election. Officials said the unrest affected more than 330 high schools, while clashes with police were reported in Paris, Lille, Nantes, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon.

The Ministry of National Education said more than 330 high schools, or just under one in 10, were affected by the action. Police arrested about 40 people and 10 others were injured, including students and staff, according to the figures provided. In some locations, protesters set bins on fire, threw bottles and paving stones, and damaged bus shelters and advertising billboards.

Police responded with tear gas as tensions rose outside schools and in surrounding streets. The strike also drew in public sector workers, including firefighters who said this summer's wildfires had exposed gaps in resources. The Education Ministry said about 11% of teachers and school staff joined the strike, while participation among other civil servants was below 10%.

Fewer hospital staff stopped work, with the loss of a day's pay cited as one factor limiting turnout. Civil aviation authorities also warned of possible disruption at some airports. The protests reflect wider dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron's government at a politically sensitive moment.

The planned cuts are part of a savings push that union leaders say would freeze state employees' base pay for a fourth consecutive year. CGT union leader Sophie Binet gave the government 48 hours to withdraw the cuts, describing the package as part of a broader effort to save 2 billion euros within a wider 54-billion-euro budget adjustment. The timing, ahead of the budget presentation, gives the dispute added significance because it could shape the political debate before next year's vote.

Student anger has been building in recent days over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, issues that have added to pressure on the education system. In one school in the Paris suburbs, teachers formed a line around protesting students to protect them from police. In Lille, masked pupils gathered outside the Lycée César Baggio and set bins on fire, while in Nantes teens piled up bins to block access to the Lycée Gabriel Guist'hau.

Similar standoffs were reported at the Arago school in Paris and in other major cities. What remains unclear is how many more schools or public services may be affected if the protests continue. It is also not yet clear whether the government will alter its budget plans before the draft is unveiled.

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