Hundreds held and dozens wounded as French school protests escalate
French high school students extended their blockades of schools on Thursday calling for more resources and better learning conditions. University students have now joined the movement, with campuses also being blocked.
The anger among high school students continued to rage in France on Thursday.
Numerous schools were blocked before 8am on Thursday, continuing a series of protests in recent days over what students say are poor learning conditions. University students have now announced that they will join the movement, promising a “black day” of protests.
The movement has also spread to higher education, with at least 10 universities completely blocked, according to the Union étudiante student union.
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Protests were held at the main campus of the University of Strasbourg, several campuses in Lyon, Aix-Marseille University, the University of Poitiers and Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier.
Mouvement des lycéens à Rennes : au lycée Brequigny, la BAC a procédé à une interpellation vers 9h, ce jeudi 1er octobre.
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Several Paris-area campuses have also been blocked, including Nanterre University and Gustave Eiffel University in Seine-et-Marne.
Police and students stand beside a fire at a blocking protest at the Arago secondary school during a day of nationwide public sector strikes and demonstrations, in Paris, on September 29, 2026. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
French security forces on Wednesday detained over 600 people while dozens of police and gendarmes were wounded as protests that have seen blockades of high schools and violent clashes escalated, the interior minister said.
The movement in the lyées, attended by students aged 15 to 18 for their final three years of secondary education in France, has angered the government.
Since last week, students have staged protests outside schools over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year’s heatwaves.
French national police in anti-riot gear stand by as students carry out a blocking protest at the Lycee International Montebello secondary school during a day of nationwide public sector strikes and demonstrations, in Lille, on September 29, 2026. Photo by Sameer AL-DOUMY / AFP
The protests started in the Île-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide.
On Wednesday, 625 people were detained during high school blockades, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, noting an “expansion of the movement” and condemning an “escalation of violence” outside certain schools.
Eighty-three police officers and gendarmes were wounded on Wednesday during the protests, which affected a total of 356 schools, he added.
Students carry out a blocking protest at the Lycee Lamartine secondary school during a day of nationwide public sector strikes and demonstrations, in Paris, on September 29, 2026. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
The minister slammed the “targeting of law enforcement officers, the throwing of projectiles, acts of violence, verbal abuse, attempted arson, and what amounts… to urban violence.”
Since the start of the unrest last week, 119 students and staff members have been injured, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said.
The cites worst affected Wednesday included Paris, Bordeaux in the southwest and Lyon in the southeast, and the northern city of Lille where police again used tear gas in clashes, AFP correspondents said.
“It is imperative that our students be able to return to class -—especially those who are currently prevented from doing so,” Geffray said.
Students carry out a blocking protest at the Lycee Lamartine secondary school during a day of nationwide public sector strikes and demonstrations, in Paris, on September 29, 2026. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
Speaking in Madrid, President Emmanuel Macron slammed hard-left politicians he accused of “legitimising violence” in the French school protests.
“We don’t condone vandalism; we came to defend our rights because we have horrendous schedules — we work 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and that’s not right,” Juan, from the Montbello high school in the northern city of Lille which had been blockaded over the last days, told AFP.
