France Summons Ministers as School Protests Turn Violent

· Politics · France

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Tuesday as high-school pupils, joined by unions, teachers and civil servants, protested for better learning conditions, with clashes erupting in Paris and Marseille. The interior ministry said 256,000 people protested nationwide, and the government said 215 students and 715 police officers were injured since the movement started in late September, when students began blocking hundreds of high schools. President Emmanuel Macron summoned ministers; the government has pledged to improve schools even as it seeks billions in savings. A policeman was charged after a 14-year-old lost most of his teeth when a tear gas grenade was fired at close range.

Why it matters：France's school unrest reflects a wider European dilemma: how to cut spending while citizens demand more from the state, with political consequences for the government.

Key points

  • The interior ministry counted 256,000 protesters; 215 students and 715 police were injured.
  • Protests began in late September with blockades of hundreds of high schools.
  • A police officer was charged after a 14-year-old lost most of his teeth to a tear gas grenade.

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day