By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, Oct. 07, 2026
PARIS, France – Tensions are rising across France as hundreds of thousands of high school and university students take to the streets, demanding better study conditions, more teachers, and improved school funding. What began weeks ago as high school blockades in the suburbs of Paris has quickly turned into one of the largest youth-led protest movements the country has seen in decades.
As demonstrations swell, human rights groups and student leaders are pointing to what they call excessive police force and brutality. Riot police deployed across major cities—including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon—have repeatedly used thick clouds of teargas, batons, and sting grenades (crowd-control hand grenades) to clear blockades and disperse crowds.
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Hundreds of people, including teenagers, have reported injuries from police charges and projectile impacts. Government figures confirm that over 200 students have been injured alongside hundreds of police officers, while thousands of young protesters have been arrested nationwide.
Facing growing public outrage over images of heavy-handed policing against minors, the French government announced a temporary suspension on the use of certain explosive stun grenades at student demonstrations.
The movement gained significant momentum after university students voted to walk out of classrooms and join their younger peers. University blockades and campus rallies have spread across the country, with older students stating they want to show solidarity and stand as a shield against police aggression.
In an unexpected turn, parents have also poured onto the streets. Fearing for the safety of their children amidst heavy teargas and grenade fire, parents and teachers have formed human chains between riot police line-ups and high school students. Many parents carrying protest signs say they are marching for two reasons: to support better public education and to physically protect young protesters from police violence.
Despite government calls for calm and proposed dialogue sessions in schools, student unions insist their protests will continue until concrete promises are made to fix the education system and put an end to state violence.
