French Schools Shut as Hundreds Join Anti-Government Protests

Hundreds of high schools across France are closed or partially shut on Monday as a nationwide wave of French school protests over poor conditions turns increasingly violent. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said security conditions were not met at an estimated 400–500 high schools, mirroring Friday’s mass closures, as students blockade schools over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and crumbling buildings.

Key facts

• Around 400 high schools were closed on Friday, October 2; a similar number is expected shut on Monday, October 5. Some 560 establishments have reported protests or disruptions.
• About 2,000 people have been detained since the protests began — the vast majority minors, according to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
• At least 170 students and 65 school staff, including 40 headteachers, have been wounded; more than 100 high schools suffered “severe damage”, per the education ministry.
• The movement began in the Paris region in mid-September and has spread to cities including Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Nantes and Strasbourg.
• Authorities say the protests have been infiltrated by violent activists from the far left — a claim denied by La France Insoumise.

Closures sweep France amid French school protests

Geffray told broadcaster France 2 that “a little over 400 schools and other educational establishments” would stay closed on Friday, and Monday’s figure is expected to be similar as further demonstrations are planned. Al Jazeera reported that 560 schools faced protests or disruptions nationwide. In the Île-de-France region around Paris, regional president Valérie Pécresse said more than a third of the area’s high schools would be shut on Monday.

The closures are a precautionary measure: the minister said security conditions at many sites had simply not been met, with barricades, fires and confrontations reported around school gates. Students in the Paris suburb of Pantin told Reuters they were struggling with classes of 35 pupils and too few chairs — one 15-year-old said the one-hour lunch break was too short for everyone to eat — before police deployed tear gas.

What the students are demanding

The movement started in the Paris region in mid-September, when pupils at several high schools began blockading their schools over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. Their demands have since broadened: more substitute teachers, shorter school days, renovated buildings, and cooling in classrooms during heatwaves.

Protesting students have carried placards reading “We have a future to build, not to endure”, while officials acknowledge many grievances are legitimate even as they condemn the violence. The protests have coincided with a broader public-sector strike against the government’s budget plans, adding political pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of elections next year. Readers can follow more international developments in Watan News’ world coverage.

Violence and mass arrests

Some demonstrations have turned violent. In Marseille, protesters started fires in at least two high schools on Thursday; two teachers were inadvertently splashed with petrol at the city’s Victor Hugo high school, while at the nearby Saint-Exupéry school hundreds of young people forced firefighters to abandon their truck before setting it alight. The city’s public transport system was suspended after staff were injured.

The Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes was evacuated after being set alight — the fire was brought under control with no injuries reported. There was violence at Lille’s Baggio high school, a car was torched in Strasbourg, and in Toulouse bins were set on fire outside the Lycée Déodat-de-Séverac as police made arrests.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told RTL radio that about 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began, roughly two-thirds placed in police custody. “There is an active and violent minority … we’re not entirely sure that they are even high-school students themselves,” he said, adding that parents should be held liable for damage caused by their children and “pay for repairs”. Geffray told BFMTV that at least 170 students and 65 school staff, including 40 principals, had been wounded, and more than 100 high schools had suffered “severe damage”.

Government response

Geffray has warned that the student movement has been exploited by violent groups and urged parents to “tell their children not to go” to the protests. According to a source close to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, intelligence agencies told a crisis meeting that the movement had been initiated by politicians from the hard left, including members of La France Insoumise (LFI) — a claim LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied.

The government says it is addressing both the immediate security threat and the underlying complaints, with ministers promising action on teacher vacancies and a meeting with regional presidents on renovating school buildings. A full account of the day’s closures is available on the Watan News main site.

Frequently asked questions

What triggered the French school protests?

Students began blockading high schools in the Paris region in mid-September over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long school days and dilapidated buildings. The movement spread nationwide and parts of it turned violent.

How many schools are closed?

About 400 high schools were closed on Friday, October 2, and a similar number is expected shut on Monday, October 5. Around 560 establishments have reported protests or disruptions.

How many people have been arrested?

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin says about 2,000 people have been detained since the protests began, the vast majority of them minors. At least 170 students and 65 school staff have been wounded.

What is the government doing?

Authorities have closed schools where security cannot be guaranteed, promised action on teacher vacancies and school renovations, and warned parents they will be held liable for damage caused by their children.