French school protests resume on smaller scale as students return from break

French high school student protests resumed on a smaller scale on Monday as students returned from a two-week break, with a few high schools in Paris, Marseille and Rennes being blockaded, according to French media. Prior to the break, hundreds of France's over 3,000 high schools were blockaded. Beginning in the Paris suburbs in September, these protests have spread across France and expanded beyond education to encompass the cost of living, attracting trade unionists and activists, occasionally turning violent.

The protests, dubbed "Gen Z" protests, have swept across European countries like Germany, Italy, Belgium and Albania, fueled by concerns such as the cost of living, the poor state of schools and alleged corruption. Last month, French protests turned violent, resulting in clashes with police and riots in several cities, with shops being looted, testing President Emmanuel Macron's minority government.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated on Monday morning that the protests are marginal, involving only a few schools or units. He emphasized that protests are permitted, but blocking access to schools is illegal. Police presence was reported, though they were not fully equipped for anti-riot scenarios. The students demand better school renovations, more teachers, additional university places and the end of a university admissions system they perceive as unfair.

Geffray previously proposed capping class sizes at 28, spending €4 billion ($4.47 billion) on school renovations, creating 15,000 new university spots and introducing a new admissions system by 2028.

High school student representatives deemed the offers insufficient and pledged to continue protesting.