France on Alert as Students Prepare for Another Wave of Nationwide Protests

France Braces for Fresh Student Protests as Anger Over School Conditions Grows

France prepared for another round of nationwide demonstrations on Tuesday as students continued their weeks-long campaign against poor conditions in schools. The latest mobilisation, backed by trade unions and the left-wing opposition party France Unbowed, comes amid growing concerns over clashes, police action and disruption to education.

A march was scheduled to begin in Paris at 1200 GMT, with demonstrations also planned in other cities. The protests follow Thursday’s nationwide rallies, which reportedly drew more than 70,000 people and resulted in around 500 arrests.

Authorities had hoped the movement, which began in late September, would lose momentum before the start of the school half-term holidays. However, students have continued to block high school entrances using dumpsters and other obstacles, with some demonstrations escalating into confrontations with police.

School Closures Decline, but Violence Remains a Concern

According to the education ministry, 130 of France’s approximately 3,700 lycees were closed on Monday. Despite the decline in school closures, officials warned that violence was becoming more serious.

The ministry reported that eight teaching staff members were injured on Monday, primarily in the Paris region and the cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, in incidents linked to the demonstrations.

Separately, police arrested a 14-year-old near Marseille after a middle school headmaster and a teacher were shot with a hunting rifle and wounded. Authorities were treating the shooting as an incident unrelated to the student protests.

Other violent incidents have also been reported. Officials said fireworks fired through a tube injured two school employees in Reims, another school worker in a Paris suburb and a police officer outside a school in Marseille.

Students Demand Better Facilities and More Teachers

Students say their protests are driven by longstanding problems in the education system, including teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and demanding timetables.

Leo, a 19-year-old graphic design student in Paris, said young people felt their concerns were not receiving sufficient attention from political leaders and elected representatives.

“Students aren’t being heard enough… not their proposals to authorities and elected officials,” he said.

He also criticised what he described as an unprecedented level of repression against a student movement, noting that many demonstrators were minors.

The protests have left several young people seriously injured. One reportedly lost a hand after being struck by a police stun grenade, while another lost several teeth after a tear-gas canister was fired at close range. A third protester reportedly lost an eye.

Rights organisations and students have accused police of using excessive force. Authorities, meanwhile, have also reported injuries among police personnel and school employees.

Thousands Taken Into Police Custody

According to the Justice Ministry, more than 6,800 people, most of them minors, have been taken into police custody since the demonstrations began.

Police have also launched internal investigations into 24 allegations of violence against protesters.

The growing number of arrests and reports of injuries have intensified scrutiny of the authorities’ response to the movement.

Government Announces Substitute Teachers

In response to complaints about staff shortages, the government has pledged to deploy around 3,000 substitute teachers to the 114 high schools most severely affected by teacher absences. The government said on Monday that the process of assigning replacement teachers had begun.

However, the national students’ union dismissed the announcement as inadequate, describing the promised measures as “crumbs”. The union is demanding an additional €10 billion investment in high schools.

The government faces pressure to address the students’ concerns while also restoring normal classroom activities and preventing further confrontations.

Parents Raise Concerns Over Missed Classes

Although many students support the demonstrations, the continuing blockades have also drawn criticism from parents and young people concerned about the loss of classroom time.

Some parents fear that prolonged school closures could affect students’ education, while others have questioned whether opposition political groups are using the movement to advance their own agendas.

In Paris, some parents have called on students to remove the blockades and allow lessons to resume.

One mother, identified by the pseudonym Gladys, criticised the disruption, describing the blockades as undemocratic.

Clara Juillet, a university student in Tours who said she had been unable to attend classes for a week, also objected to the disruption, arguing that students who wanted to study were being prevented from doing so.

Macron Calls for Dialogue and Restraint

President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that addressing the students’ grievances would require time, consultation and discussion. He urged protesters to exercise restraint as the government considers possible responses.

“These are issues that deserve time, consultations, discussion and respect,” Macron said.

Tuesday’s demonstrations are expected to be followed by broader public rallies on Saturday against the rising cost of living. Naila, a 17-year-old student in Rennes who planned to join the student protest, said she hoped the two movements would converge.

As France prepares for another day of demonstrations, the government faces the challenge of responding to demands for better educational conditions while limiting violence and ensuring that students can return to their classrooms.