Chaos Deepens as French Students’ Protests Intensify, with Paris Facing a Possible Shutdown
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — A wave of protests by lycée students demanding improvements to France’s education system continued on Thursday (8 October 2026). Students have set aside government calls to ease the crisis, which has shaken the country for several days.
According to AFP, students have blocked access to hundreds of secondary schools across the country since late September. The protests have at times led to violent clashes with riot police.
In an update on Thursday, student union leaders also called for fresh mass mobilisation across France. They cited plans for demonstrations in Paris and a call by education workers’ unions for a nationwide strike as signs of support.
Suzanne Nijdam, president of the student association FAGE, said they had secured no agreement at all after an earlier meeting with Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste. She called for the protests to continue.
“An even larger demonstration next week,” she said.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Edouard Geffray is due to visit a secondary school in Reims for a “dialogue” with students. The students have asked to meet Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in person to present what they describe as a “costed proposal” for meeting their demands.
Students have complained of teacher shortages, overcrowded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and school buildings unable to cope with rising temperatures. Teaching was partially or fully suspended at 375 schools nationwide on Thursday morning.
Although many demonstrations have been peaceful, some protesters have set objects alight, damaged bus shelters or clashed with riot police. Unions, human rights groups and students have accused police of using excessive force.
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Lecornu sought to ease tensions by promising a plan to address the crisis by the end of October. He denied that there had been orders to confront the teenagers.
However, an 18-year-old student, Hanaa, said she felt “disappointed and uncertain” after Lecornu’s remarks. Another student, 17-year-old Salyna, said she had “expected more from Lecornu”.
A 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday after police fired a stun grenade. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told RTL radio on Wednesday morning that he had suspended police use of stun grenades in response to the incident.
The unrest comes just months before the 2027 election to choose a successor to centrist President Emmanuel Macron. Veteran far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has been polling strongly despite having been convicted in a corruption case. The protests began in Saint-Denis, a disadvantaged suburb of Paris where poverty is more than twice the national average.
Mayor steps in to protect students
In a video that went viral on social media, Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko is seen confronting police during a march in Paris on Tuesday, standing between officers and young protesters and shouting “stop”. Bagayoko, a politician from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, said he had intervened personally to ask officers not to attack.
“They decided to attack and effectively pursue the students, many of whom had shown no aggressive behaviour towards police officers at all,” Bagayoko said.
Police nevertheless fired tear gas at the group, with some hitting the mayor. Bagayoko urged the government to prioritise investment in education and impose higher taxes on billionaires.