French high school students clashed with police in several cities on Tuesday as protests over overcrowded classrooms, staff shortages, long school hours and inadequate facilities intensified, adding another layer of pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
The protests, which began last week in the Paris region, have spread to cities including Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon. Education authorities reported blockades at around 10 schools in the Île-de-France region, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 180 schools had been affected on Monday and 164 people had been arrested.
Tensions escalated at several schools, with protesters setting fire to rubbish bins, blocking entrances and throwing bottles, paving stones and other objects at police. Officers used tear gas in response. Bus shelters and advertising billboards were also reported damaged.
At the Lamartine school in Paris, around 80 students gathered with slogans criticizing long school days and demanding improved conditions. Students elsewhere cited overheated classrooms following recent heatwaves, shortages of teachers, crowded timetables and inadequate resources.
A 17-year-old student at the Paris school told AFP that students were also protesting in support of teachers facing heavy workloads. At a school in the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, students described their facilities as poorly maintained and argued that schools in lower-income areas receive insufficient resources.
The student demonstrations coincided with nationwide strike action by public-sector workers over the government’s proposed budget. Teachers and firefighters were among those taking part in the strike, while tens of thousands of people were expected to join demonstrations across France.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned that escalating violence around schools would be irresponsible, while Interior Minister Nunez said authorities would not tolerate disorder. Lecornu has also accused the left-wing France Unbowed party of encouraging the school protests, a claim the party has rejected.
The unrest comes at a politically sensitive moment for the government, with France’s budget due to be unveiled on Thursday. Trade unions have criticized the proposed fiscal measures, while CGT Secretary-General Sophie Binet called for the government to revise the draft budget, warning that it could deepen economic difficulties.
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With school protests and public-sector strikes occurring simultaneously, the demonstrations have broadened the pressure on Lecornu’s government as it seeks to navigate public anger over education, public services and the national budget.
