France Student Protests Spread Nationwide, Over 400 Detained

Student protests and school blockades have spread across France, with more than 400 people detained as high school students demonstrated over deteriorating conditions in the country’s education system.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 440 people were detained on Tuesday, September 29, most of them minors. About two-thirds of those detained were reportedly placed in police custody.

The protests, which began in the Paris region last week, have since spread to cities across the country.

Students are protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long timetables and inadequate school facilities. They have also raised concerns about overheated classrooms during recent heatwaves.

France’s Education Ministry said protests or disruptions affected around 400 of the country’s 3,700 high schools on Tuesday, with dozens of schools blockaded.

Some demonstrations turned violent. Students in Lille and other cities reportedly set fire to rubbish bins and threw bottles, stones and other objects at police.

Police responded with tear gas and batons. Authorities said 48 law-enforcement officers were injured during the clashes.

Nuñez said there were also seven incidents in which hydrochloric acid was thrown at police officers.

The student protests coincided with a broader nationwide strike by public-sector workers over the government’s proposed budget measures.

Teachers and other public employees have joined demonstrations against planned spending cuts and salary policies.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has acknowledged concerns over conditions in schools while condemning violence during the protests.

The demonstrations come amid broader tensions over public spending and working conditions, with unions and students calling for changes to government policies affecting education and public services.