Photos: The Student Protests in France
For much of the past month, students in France, alongside teachers and union members, have been protesting against poor conditions in schools. Thousands have been arrested following a day of nationwide demonstrations and blockades yesterday.
On October 6, 2026, thousands of high-school and university students in France took to the streets in a nationwide day of protests and blockades. The demonstrations were organized by students and joined by unions and teachers who had been demanding better learning conditions for weeks. The students expressed their frustration over overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, insufficient investment in education, deteriorating school buildings, and recent police actions.
In Paris, demonstrators gathered around a statue in Place de la République, while in Nantes, students attended the demonstration. Riots erupted in Lyon, where riot police faced off against protesters setting up makeshift barricades. In Bordeaux, riot police charged demonstrators and a student was detained by a police officer. Similar scenes unfolded in other cities, with students blocking roads and tearing down traffic lights.
The protests were sparked by the government's release of the draft budget for the upcoming year. Carole Zerbib, the principal of Lycée Vauquelin in Paris, spoke with journalists in front of the school's damaged entrance doors and a pile of fire damage caused by protesters. Students also tore down a traffic light near Lycée César Baggio in Lille in protest of the budget.
Throughout the protests, police responded with force, using tear gas and riot-control weapons to disperse crowds. One student protester in Paris shielded themselves from tear gas, while in Toulouse, riot police detained another student near Lycée Déodat de Séverac. Despite the clashes, the student demonstrations persisted, with protesters using placards and shouting slogans to voice their anger and demand change.
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