French CRS riot police run past garbage bins and object set on fire amid clashes with protesters during a demonstration by high school and university students, supported by teachers’ union and school parents, in Paris as part of a nationwide day of protests and blockades, voicing anger over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings, which students blame on years of underinvestment, France, on October 6, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Police fired tear gas to control crowds in Paris and elsewhere in France on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) as more than a quarter of a million people rallied nationwide to support high school students demanding more education funding, according to government figures.
The protests increased pressure on the administration of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.
As pupils blockaded high schools, large crowds waving flags and placards gathered in Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. The demonstrations showed how protests that began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September have grown into a nationwide movement — the latest of many that have marked Macron’s nearly decade-long tenure.
“We need to listen to them,” said Léa Monimart, an adult demonstrator in the northern city of Lille. “They are 17 years old; they are not completely clueless, and they know what they are talking about. It’s important to show that there are adults who support them.”
The Interior Ministry estimated that 2,66,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), including 56,000 in Paris, where small groups of protesters clashed with riot officers at a city square at the end of a largely peaceful march.
Nearly 500 people were detained Tuesday (October 6, 2026), the Ministry said. The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers. Some student groups called for new protests Thursday (October 8, 2026).
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the police response had been proportionate in “almost all cases” and that the protests had at times turned into riots, requiring police intervention.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government and school leaders must listen to students’ concerns and find solutions.
Questioned in parliament on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) about the protest movement, Mr. Lecornu denounced “ultra violence” threatening schools. Responding to criticism of police tactics, he pledged that any “accidents” would be investigated and described allegations that the police are racist as a “lie.”
Published – October 07, 2026 05:30 am IST
