Students blockaded at least 48 high schools in France on Tuesday, according to local authorities, as the country's trade unions prepare for a nationwide strike planned for November 5. The USL student union said 500 schools were blocked, while thousands of students also marched in Paris and several other cities.
Issued on: 03/11/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Students are calling on authorities to renovate dilapidated schools, reduce class sizes and create more university places. © Kenzo Tribouillard, AFPStudents blockaded dozens of high schools and universities across France on Tuesday to maintain pressure on the government over education reforms as trade unions prepared for a nationwide strike.
After returning from a two-week autumn break, some students resumed their protest campaign Monday, calling on the authorities to renovate dilapidated schools, reduce class sizes and create more university places.
READ MORESome 320,000 demonstrators take part in largely peaceful protests across France
Authorities said Tuesday that 48 out of France's 3,700 high schools were blocked amid tight security, including in Paris, Rennes and Lyon. The USL student union said 500 schools were blocked.
Fifty-one higher education institutions out of 184 were also disrupted, officials said.
The USL union denounced what it called heavy-handed tactics, with "young people pinned against walls and riot police units deployed" outside schools.
A union representative said the authorities appeared to want to blunt a new day of blockades on Thursday when trade unions have called a nationwide strike.
"We don't even have the right to vote, we can't do anything, so this is our only way of expressing ourselves," a high school student in northwestern Paris said on condition of anonymity.
Thousands of students also marched in Paris and several other cities.
'Nothing else worked'
Education Minister Édouard Geffray spoke out against the action, saying students needed to study and prepare for exams.
The USL student union said 500 high schools were blocked. © AFP
"Preventing them from entering their school deprives them of a fundamental right: the right to an education," he said on X, adding that some staff members had "once again been subjected to violence".
In the northwestern city of Rennes, around 30 students blocked the Brequigny High School, one of the country's largest secondary schools.
Tensions quickly flared between students and the school administration.
"You are not the majority," a staff member protested.
"If we're doing this, it's because everything we've tried before hasn't worked," a student replied.
At a school in the southwestern city of Toulouse, students brandished placards, one saying "Angry, not far right".
"Young people are sticking it to the education system," read another, in a nod to the lyrics of a popular protest song against the far right.
"Preventing them from entering their school deprives them of a fundamental right: the right to an education," he said on X, adding that some staff members had "once again been subjected to violence".
In the northwestern city of Rennes, around 30 students blocked the Brequigny High School, one of the country's largest secondary schools.
Tensions quickly flared between students and the school administration.
"You are not the majority," a staff member protested.
"If we're doing this, it's because everything we've tried before hasn't worked," a student replied.
At a school in the southwestern city of Toulouse, students brandished placards, one saying "Angry, not far right".
"Young people are sticking it to the education system," read another, in a nod to the lyrics of a popular protest song against the far right.
With the European Union's second-largest economy on the brink of recession, authorities have little room to quell student anger with additional spending © Thibaud Moritz, AFP
The school protests have fuelled a nationwide movement against soaring prices and inadequate public services, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets over the past three weekends.
On October 17, it also led to some of the worst unrest seen in France in years.
The school movement has inspired students in other European countries, including Italy and Spain, where the French word "blocus" (blockade) has become a hashtag.
Last week, the French government unveiled measures aimed at addressing some of the students' demands, including the replacement of the university admissions platform, which has been criticised for a lack of transparency.
Students say the proposals do not go far enough, demanding €10 billion in investment.
Three minors arrested
With the European Union's second-largest economy on the brink of recession and under pressure to reduce its debt, authorities have little room to quell student anger with additional spending.
Student union L'Union Etudiante said one university in two was affected Tuesday and that over 50 campuses had been blockaded.
At the University of Lille in the north, around 40 students used bicycles and trash bins to block the campus, leading to the cancellation of classes.
The school protests have fuelled a nationwide movement against soaring prices and inadequate public services, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets over the past three weekends.
On October 17, it also led to some of the worst unrest seen in France in years.
The school movement has inspired students in other European countries, including Italy and Spain, where the French word "blocus" (blockade) has become a hashtag.
Last week, the French government unveiled measures aimed at addressing some of the students' demands, including the replacement of the university admissions platform, which has been criticised for a lack of transparency.
Students say the proposals do not go far enough, demanding €10 billion in investment.
Three minors arrested
With the European Union's second-largest economy on the brink of recession and under pressure to reduce its debt, authorities have little room to quell student anger with additional spending.
Student union L'Union Etudiante said one university in two was affected Tuesday and that over 50 campuses had been blockaded.
At the University of Lille in the north, around 40 students used bicycles and trash bins to block the campus, leading to the cancellation of classes.
Some students resumed their protest campaign after returning from a two-week autumn break © Mehdi Fedouach, AFP
"There's a massive national mobilisation under way," said Gauthier Capiez, a third-year political science student.
"If next year we manage to get rid of Parcoursup, among other things, then it will all have been worth it," he said, referring to the university admissions platform.
Some schools have been damaged since the student movement emerged in September.
On Tuesday, authorities said three minors had been arrested after a school in the western city of Nantes was set on fire in October, on the margins of the protests.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
"There's a massive national mobilisation under way," said Gauthier Capiez, a third-year political science student.
"If next year we manage to get rid of Parcoursup, among other things, then it will all have been worth it," he said, referring to the university admissions platform.
Some schools have been damaged since the student movement emerged in September.
On Tuesday, authorities said three minors had been arrested after a school in the western city of Nantes was set on fire in October, on the margins of the protests.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
France braces for fresh protests as students to resume school blockades
France is readying for another week of protests after the head of a student group said a campaign of high school blockades would restart Monday, ahead of a nationwide day of strikes and protests on Thursday.
Issued on: 02/11/2026 - RFI
A masked high school student holds a placard reading "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Except for us, apparently" during a blockade of the Lycee Voltaire high school in Paris on 6 October. REUTERS - Tom Nicholson
A nationwide day of strikes and protests across the public and private sectors is planned for Thursday.
The Union Etudiante (Student Union), said Saturday that blockades of universities and high schools would take place on both Tuesday and Thursday.
But some high schools will be blockaded from Monday, when students return from a two-week holiday, said Pierre Sourzat, head of the "Lyceens!" group.
"We're calling for blockades... starting on Monday ... that's the principle when you go on strike, it's to cause disruption," he told RMC radio on Sunday.
High school pupils began blockades in mid-September.
President Emmanuel Macron has called for classes to resume in a calm manner, arguing that "young people have been heard".
"No, we're not all going back to class," Sourzat said, "[the president] hasn't heard us, he's given us almost nothing."
A nationwide day of strikes and protests across the public and private sectors is planned for Thursday.
The Union Etudiante (Student Union), said Saturday that blockades of universities and high schools would take place on both Tuesday and Thursday.
But some high schools will be blockaded from Monday, when students return from a two-week holiday, said Pierre Sourzat, head of the "Lyceens!" group.
"We're calling for blockades... starting on Monday ... that's the principle when you go on strike, it's to cause disruption," he told RMC radio on Sunday.
High school pupils began blockades in mid-September.
President Emmanuel Macron has called for classes to resume in a calm manner, arguing that "young people have been heard".
"No, we're not all going back to class," Sourzat said, "[the president] hasn't heard us, he's given us almost nothing."
'Smoke and mirrors'
Hundreds of thousands of people, including high school and university students, took to the streets across France on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of protests over soaring prices, inequality and poor conditions in schools.
The movement emerged in mid-September with high school students angry over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings, which they blame on years of underinvestment.
Last Monday, the government announced a series of measures, including replacing the university admissions platform, known as Parcoursup, which is criticised for its lack of transparency, and providing loans for school renovations.
Sourzat said the proposed overhaul of Parcoursup failed to address the shortage of places in higher education.
He also dismissed the government's plan to reduce class sizes as insufficient, noting that it would apply only to 10th-grade classes.
"We were asking for all year groups," he said, describing the government's proposals as "smoke and mirrors".
"There's a bit of polish on the surface, but once you scratch beneath it, there's nothing there."
High school pupils block the lycée Buffon in Paris on 2 October. AFP - THOMAS SAMSON
Calls for action
France is the eurozone's second-largest economy but is struggling with mounting debt and the government has limited scope to appease student protesters through additional spending.
Several trade unions also say the government's proposals do not go far enough and are calling for a large turnout on Thursday.
"This time, we're close to concrete progress so that tomorrow can be better than today," Thomas Vacheron, a national official at the hardline CGT union told BFMTV.
The CGT wants an increase in the minimum wage, higher pay grades for civil servants and pay rises for all workers.
"The government must respond to the protests now. It's the one that holds the key," Vacheron said.
'Robust' security operation
Turnout at Saturday's protests was around 320,000, including 70,000 people in Paris, the Interior Ministry said, though organisers put the figure at half a million.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned that Saturday was a "high risk" day and deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide.
In Paris, the only authorised march was outside the city centre.
Police arrested 779 people, the interior ministry said on Sunday, adding there had been "no major incidents".
The operation helped avert a repeat of the widespread looting and vandalism seen on 17 October when more than 1,300 people were arrested and an estimated €1 billion of damage caused to shops and public property..
"The arrangements put in place, robust and flexible, allowed authorised demonstrations to take place, guaranteeing freedom of expression while preventing the actions of those who sought to make the marches degenerate," Nunez wrote on X.
Prosecutors announced Sunday they had launched an attempted murder probe after a petrol bomb was thrown at security forces during the protest in Paris, leaving one officer with second-degree burns.
Several hundred rioters had attacked security forces with projectiles, including a Molotov cocktail, the prefecture said.
(with newswires)
Calls for action
France is the eurozone's second-largest economy but is struggling with mounting debt and the government has limited scope to appease student protesters through additional spending.
Several trade unions also say the government's proposals do not go far enough and are calling for a large turnout on Thursday.
"This time, we're close to concrete progress so that tomorrow can be better than today," Thomas Vacheron, a national official at the hardline CGT union told BFMTV.
The CGT wants an increase in the minimum wage, higher pay grades for civil servants and pay rises for all workers.
"The government must respond to the protests now. It's the one that holds the key," Vacheron said.
'Robust' security operation
Turnout at Saturday's protests was around 320,000, including 70,000 people in Paris, the Interior Ministry said, though organisers put the figure at half a million.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned that Saturday was a "high risk" day and deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide.
In Paris, the only authorised march was outside the city centre.
Police arrested 779 people, the interior ministry said on Sunday, adding there had been "no major incidents".
The operation helped avert a repeat of the widespread looting and vandalism seen on 17 October when more than 1,300 people were arrested and an estimated €1 billion of damage caused to shops and public property..
"The arrangements put in place, robust and flexible, allowed authorised demonstrations to take place, guaranteeing freedom of expression while preventing the actions of those who sought to make the marches degenerate," Nunez wrote on X.
Prosecutors announced Sunday they had launched an attempted murder probe after a petrol bomb was thrown at security forces during the protest in Paris, leaving one officer with second-degree burns.
Several hundred rioters had attacked security forces with projectiles, including a Molotov cocktail, the prefecture said.
(with newswires)
Some 320,000 demonstrators take part in largely peaceful protests across France
Around 320,000 protesters took part in a third mass protest over living costs across France on Saturday, the interior ministry estimated, while organisers counted nearly half a million. Tensions flared at the end of marches in some cities but authorities reported that most demonstrations were largely peaceful.
Issued on: 01/11/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Europe's wave of anger: How far will youth-led protests go?
Turnout was lower than for the previous two Saturdays of protests, with 320,000 protesters nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris, the interior ministry said, while organizer's turnout estimates are nearly half a million. That compares with 410,000 the week before and 550,000 on October 17.
The interior ministry said in a statement that "radical elements" intent on damage and looting had attempted to break away from marches in cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille, but were thwarted by security forces.
It added that security checks at railway stations and roads had uncovered people carrying objects that could be used as weapons.
Authorities have warned that Halloween masks could be used to conceal the identities of rioters. Nuñez has vowed to prevent a repeat of the October 17 violence, noting that existing laws allow police to prohibit face coverings when public order is threatened.
The unrest comes at a delicate moment for the government. On Friday, ratings agency Fitch unexpectedly revised the outlook on French debt to negative, underscoring investor concerns over the country's finances. With public debt nearing 120 percent of economic output and borrowing costs rising, Macron's government faces mounting pressure to curb spending, limiting its room for manoeuvre.
The US Embassy advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings were planned.
Protests began with students
The protests gathered momentum in late September as Macron's minority government opened talks on its 2027 budget. Students angered by the deteriorating state of schools, overcrowded classrooms and a university admissions system widely viewed as unfair have since been joined by trade unions and a resurgent Yellow Vests movement demanding action on living costs.
The French government's promises to reform education and ease fuel costs have failed to calm discontent.
"When I was little, I was told young people were the future," said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old high school student in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, who was planning to join his third consecutive weekend of protests.
"Well, if we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing."
The unrest has handed a political boost to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls ahead of April's presidential election, while potential centrist successors to Macron remain divided.
The troubles are the latest blow to an economy which data on Friday showed was already shrinking in the third quarter.
The Chamber of Commerce estimates that losses to retailers during the three weeks of unrest has exceeded €1 billion ($1.1 billion). Other estimates put the total at double that when including uninsured damage and lost revenue.
Along Paris' main shopping boulevards, early Christmas lights glowed around boarded-up windows and security grilles.
Among the shops targeted in the unrest of previous weekends were outlets belonging to luxury brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
Around 320,000 protesters took part in a third mass protest over living costs across France on Saturday, the interior ministry estimated, while organisers counted nearly half a million. Tensions flared at the end of marches in some cities but authorities reported that most demonstrations were largely peaceful.
Issued on: 01/11/2026
By: FRANCE 24
A protestor waves a French flag among tear gas smokes while taking part in a nationwide demonstration in Lyon, France, on October 31, 2026. © Jeff Pachoud, AFP
Scuffles broke out in Paris and other French cities on Saturday evening at the end of nationwide demonstrations driven by anger over living costs and strained public services, while authorities warned of possible further violence overnight with Halloween celebrations under way.
The protests, which were largely peaceful through the afternoon, continued for a third weekend after riots and looting on October 17 that caught security forces off guard, leaving a trail of damage to shops, public buildings and businesses across the country.
Riot police charged to disperse small groups of rioters at the end of the Paris march, and fired tear gas in Lyon, France's third-largest city, and in Toulouse in the southwest. There were also tensions at the end of unauthorised protests in Marseille, but calm had returned as night fell.
"Security forces held their ground and protected city centres. Public order was maintained," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters after the marches, adding that police had faced "a great deal of violence". He said authorities were now bracing for scattered unrest later in the evening, amid what he said were calls for insurrection on Halloween night.
"The day is not over. We are ready for those looking for a fight tonight, and we will respond firmly," Nuñez added.
The protests in France have inspired youth-led "Gen-Z" protests across Europe, with demonstrations in several German cities on Saturday. There were also protests in Italy.
The marches brought together students – who began mobilising in September – with trade unions and a smaller contingent of anti-establishment Yellow Vest protesters, united by complaints over the cost of living, high fuel prices, rising inflation and President Emmanuel Macron's government.
"The French economy is doing badly no matter what happens, because today we're being run by a group of incompetents who juggle billions, while families are struggling with a few cents," protester Jerome Rodriguez said during the Paris march.
"That's why we're here, to keep shouting our demands louder and louder and hopefully get a response from the government, although that seems very unlikely."
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose ratings have risen in recent weeks ahead of next April's presidential election, marched at the head of the Paris demonstration. France's top administrative court had upheld a ban on a march between the landmark Paris squares of Nation and Bastille, rejecting a challenge from unions. Authorities instead authorised a route along boulevards on the eastern edge of the capital, away from central shopping districts.
Scuffles broke out in Paris and other French cities on Saturday evening at the end of nationwide demonstrations driven by anger over living costs and strained public services, while authorities warned of possible further violence overnight with Halloween celebrations under way.
The protests, which were largely peaceful through the afternoon, continued for a third weekend after riots and looting on October 17 that caught security forces off guard, leaving a trail of damage to shops, public buildings and businesses across the country.
Riot police charged to disperse small groups of rioters at the end of the Paris march, and fired tear gas in Lyon, France's third-largest city, and in Toulouse in the southwest. There were also tensions at the end of unauthorised protests in Marseille, but calm had returned as night fell.
"Security forces held their ground and protected city centres. Public order was maintained," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters after the marches, adding that police had faced "a great deal of violence". He said authorities were now bracing for scattered unrest later in the evening, amid what he said were calls for insurrection on Halloween night.
"The day is not over. We are ready for those looking for a fight tonight, and we will respond firmly," Nuñez added.
The protests in France have inspired youth-led "Gen-Z" protests across Europe, with demonstrations in several German cities on Saturday. There were also protests in Italy.
The marches brought together students – who began mobilising in September – with trade unions and a smaller contingent of anti-establishment Yellow Vest protesters, united by complaints over the cost of living, high fuel prices, rising inflation and President Emmanuel Macron's government.
"The French economy is doing badly no matter what happens, because today we're being run by a group of incompetents who juggle billions, while families are struggling with a few cents," protester Jerome Rodriguez said during the Paris march.
"That's why we're here, to keep shouting our demands louder and louder and hopefully get a response from the government, although that seems very unlikely."
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose ratings have risen in recent weeks ahead of next April's presidential election, marched at the head of the Paris demonstration. France's top administrative court had upheld a ban on a march between the landmark Paris squares of Nation and Bastille, rejecting a challenge from unions. Authorities instead authorised a route along boulevards on the eastern edge of the capital, away from central shopping districts.
Europe's wave of anger: How far will youth-led protests go?
Cover image: THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
44:05
44:05
Turnout was lower than for the previous two Saturdays of protests, with 320,000 protesters nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris, the interior ministry said, while organizer's turnout estimates are nearly half a million. That compares with 410,000 the week before and 550,000 on October 17.
The interior ministry said in a statement that "radical elements" intent on damage and looting had attempted to break away from marches in cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille, but were thwarted by security forces.
It added that security checks at railway stations and roads had uncovered people carrying objects that could be used as weapons.
Authorities have warned that Halloween masks could be used to conceal the identities of rioters. Nuñez has vowed to prevent a repeat of the October 17 violence, noting that existing laws allow police to prohibit face coverings when public order is threatened.
The unrest comes at a delicate moment for the government. On Friday, ratings agency Fitch unexpectedly revised the outlook on French debt to negative, underscoring investor concerns over the country's finances. With public debt nearing 120 percent of economic output and borrowing costs rising, Macron's government faces mounting pressure to curb spending, limiting its room for manoeuvre.
The US Embassy advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings were planned.
Protests began with students
The protests gathered momentum in late September as Macron's minority government opened talks on its 2027 budget. Students angered by the deteriorating state of schools, overcrowded classrooms and a university admissions system widely viewed as unfair have since been joined by trade unions and a resurgent Yellow Vests movement demanding action on living costs.
The French government's promises to reform education and ease fuel costs have failed to calm discontent.
"When I was little, I was told young people were the future," said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old high school student in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, who was planning to join his third consecutive weekend of protests.
"Well, if we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing."
The unrest has handed a political boost to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls ahead of April's presidential election, while potential centrist successors to Macron remain divided.
The troubles are the latest blow to an economy which data on Friday showed was already shrinking in the third quarter.
The Chamber of Commerce estimates that losses to retailers during the three weeks of unrest has exceeded €1 billion ($1.1 billion). Other estimates put the total at double that when including uninsured damage and lost revenue.
Along Paris' main shopping boulevards, early Christmas lights glowed around boarded-up windows and security grilles.
Among the shops targeted in the unrest of previous weekends were outlets belonging to luxury brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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