France Student Protests Spread as Nearly 5,000 Arrested

Nearly 5,000 individuals were arrested as student protests over teacher shortages, deteriorating facilities and reports of rats in classrooms continued to spread across France, causing damage estimated in the tens of millions of euros. Police in Paris reported an increase in injuries and property damage following days of clashes that disrupted hundreds of schools, leading police chief Patrice Faure to warn that the movement was being overtaken by violence.

The Paris Police Prefecture published an open letter on Saturday, in which Faure accused the movement of moving away from its original goals and being taken over by unrest.

The movement originated in the Paris suburbs and quickly spread nationwide, driven by complaints about insufficient resources, ageing infrastructure and inadequate learning conditions in schools. Students from Paul-Éluard and Bartholdi high schools in Saint-Denis, located north of Paris, expressed concerns about deteriorating facilities, absent teachers and poor maintenance.

One 17-year-old student, identified as Fadila, described cockroaches and rats throughout the school, as well as classrooms that became too hot in warm weather and too cold in winter.

Students are protesting for the right to education and dignity, accusing authorities of responding to their concerns with police force rather than investing in schools. A 16-year-old student, identified as Ayeb, told the publication that the only response to their demands was police violence. Education Minister Edouard Geffray acknowledged that some student concerns were legitimate while condemning the urban violence surrounding the protests.

Faure urged students to abandon school blockades and return to peaceful forms of protest, warning that violence was undermining the movement's original aims. Education officials reported disruptions at hundreds of schools and injuries among staff, with damage at over 100 high schools. The government has called for another day of demonstrations on Tuesday, presenting a challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's administration as it attempts to restore order while addressing demands for improved school conditions, more teachers and better learning environments.