Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the growing wave of school blockades across France was “irresponsible” and called for a stop to violence after police arrested 164 protesters on Monday.
The protests began in July in the Paris region, when students blocked their schools to protest overcrowded classes and chronic teacher shortages. They have now spread to cities such as Marseille, Lille and the Ardennes, with incidents that include vandalism and the use of fireworks against police.
“Fireworks, fires, violence near high schools: nothing justifies endangering students, staff, or police officers,” Lecornu wrote on X. The statement came amid reports that 12 members of the security forces, 12 students and three school staff were injured on a Saturday, and 180 schools were affected.
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne praised the demonstrations as a legitimate response to the conditions that students face, saying that problems such as “lack of teachers and staff” and “dilapidated schools” are the result of a decade of budget cuts in the French education system.
While Lecornu pledged to listen to the difficulties of high‑school pupils, he condemned any escalation and warned that perpetrators of violence would be held accountable.
The far‑left France Unbowed party accused the government of orchestrating a crackdown and claimed that the students were “harmless.” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the protests as more akin to urban violence, noting that some participants were masked and armed with fireworks, “projectiles, and a desire to confront security forces.”
Investigations are underway into a report that police used a grenade‑launcher‑style weapon against a high‑school student, an incident highlighted by French broadcaster BFMTV. Police confirmed several injuries, but did not disclose names or specific details of the arrested demonstrators.
The educational crisis that sparked the blockades continues to loom, with unions calling for substantial changes, while national leaders are battling how best to address the unrest and prevent further escalation.
