Categories
France: Trade unions join students in major demonstration
France: Trade unions join students in major demonstration
Jenipher Camino Gonzalez with dpa, AFP, Reuters, AP.10/06/2026October 6, 2026Some 256,000 people took to the streets in student-led protests across France. They demonstrated against poor learning conditions and run-down schools.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NpGDPrefer DW on GoogleAbout 256,000 people took to the streets of France for nationwide blockades and protests led by high-school and trade union groups. Police were out in full force and fired tear gas at protesters.
The demonstrations are part of a movement that sprung in recent weeks demanding that French President Emmanuel Macron's government tackle understaffed and underfunded schools.
The Interior Ministry said at least 488 people were arrested and 43 members of the security forces were wounded on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with ministers over the protests Tuesday evening, French media reported.
Protests that began in Paris' struggling suburbs have now spread across the country, including pupils from affluent areas who have joined in solidarity.
Hundreds of high school entrances have been blocked by student protesters since late September. The students have decried poor learning conditions, such as missing teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that are not suitable for high temperatures.
While many of the demonstrations have been peaceful, some protesters have lit trash can fires, destroyed bus shelters or clashed with riot police, who have responded with batons, tear gas and riot-control rounds, with authorities accusing the movement of having devolved into urban violence.
Police accused of brutality towards children
The country's Justice Ministry said 5,060 people have been arrested since the protests began. Some 87% of those taken into custody were minors.
Over 1,800 people face charges, including 1,483 minors, the ministry said, without providing details of what they had been accused of, although some 790 cases have already been dismissed.
Trade unions and human rights groups have accused the police of using disproportionate force on children. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Monday that police have launched 10 internal investigations into allegations of brutality since the protests started.
The reports include the cases of:
- a 15-year-old lost his hand at a protest in the northern town of Lens
- a 16-year-old lost the use of his right eye after being seriously injured in the head in the central town of Tours
- a 14-year-old lost most of his teeth when a police officer in Saint-Ouen-L'Aumone, northwest of Paris, appeared to fire a projectile at him at very close range
Government promises response to students' demands
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday there can be "no room for tolerance of violence."
"Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings. Lynching a teacher does not help replace teachers," he told parliament, adding it was a "lie" to suggest the government had ordered "police repression" against demonstrators.
Lecornu also said earlier that he had ordered government ministers to study the students' demands.
Among the demands the government will be tackling are ensuring absent teachers are replaced, reviewing the length of the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. school day and the need for longer lunch breaks.
The government has promised to also look at repairs needed to ageing school buildings.
Lecornu said ministers are expected to submit their first proposals by the end of October. The protests have put pressure on a government that has sought to narrow a ballooning budget deficit.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.
Advertisement