France protest detentions surpass 3,000 as around 400 schools stay closed

More than 3,000 people, mostly students, had been detained during France’s escalating education protests, The Hindu reported, while around 400 schools remained closed on Oct. 2. The Interior Ministry said 1,027 of the country’s roughly 3,700 high schools had been affected, including 222 that were blockaded.⁸⁹

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Fires, damage and arrests

Students set fires at at least two high schools on Oct. 1, while teachers at a third school in Marseille were accidentally splashed with petrol. Young people also forced firefighters to abandon a fire engine near Saint-Exupéry high school before setting it alight. Public transport in Marseille was suspended after staff members were injured, at least one car was burned in Strasbourg, and riot police clashed with young people in Toulouse.¹²³⁵

In Nantes, a fire damaged the entrance and part of the façade of Nelson Mandela high school, forcing it to remain closed for several days. Investigators believed the fire was probably deliberate, although its precise origin had not been established. No injuries were reported at the school.⁵

More than 3,000 people, mostly students, had been detained, including 1,949 on Oct. 1, according to The Hindu. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin had previously put the number of arrests since the unrest started at approximately 2,000, saying nearly two out of three of those arrested were held in police custody. The Hindu reported that around 85 police officers and gendarmes were injured in clashes, while CNBC reported that dozens of educational staff, hundreds of police officers and more than 100 pupils were injured.⁷⁸⁹

More than 100 high schools sustained severe damage, according to reports cited by CNA and EL PAÍS. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the regional authority estimated losses at between €25 million and €30 million and said 400 complaints were being prepared. It deployed about 100 private security agents to deter further intrusions.⁴⁸¹⁰

Education grievances and the police response

Students have cited shortages of teachers, overcrowded classes, poor building conditions and insufficient resources. What began with small protests at high schools in the Paris suburbs spread rapidly across France, with blockades erected from trash cans and furniture. University students joined the movement at about 30 campuses. The Interior Ministry said 1,027 of roughly 3,700 high schools were affected, including 222 blockaded.²⁵⁶⁷

Some students accused police of an excessive response. Three investigations by the police oversight body, the IGPN, were opened after people were injured during blockades, including a high-school student in Tours who was hospitalized. The Hindu reported that riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring dozens of protesters. Laurent Nuñez deployed additional security forces and asked the public to limit travel.¹⁵⁸

Authorities also imposed local restrictions. In the Loire, the prefecture banned gatherings around eight high schools from Oct. 2 until classroom teaching resumes. Those schools were instructed to provide remote lessons, while Geffray said distance education could be used elsewhere when damage or safety concerns prevented attendance.⁵⁹

The protests also unfolded against a contentious budget backdrop. CNBC reported that the draft 2027 budget targeted a €54 billion fiscal adjustment and included a wage freeze for public-sector workers such as teachers. The Hindu separately reported plans for €43 billion in expenditure cuts intended to reduce the deficit to 5%.⁸⁹

Dispute over political involvement

The prime minister’s office said French intelligence agencies regarded the blockades as an organized effort involving La France Insoumise and other elements of the radical left. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an interministerial crisis unit on Oct. 1, while Darmanin sought a firm criminal-justice response in an urgent meeting with 36 senior prosecutors.¹²⁵

La France Insoumise politicians rejected the government’s allegation. LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard denied that hard-left politicians had started the movement, while party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon backed the protests but urged participants to use non-violent methods.¹²³

Geffray met education unions and high-school student associations on Oct. 2 in an effort to establish dialogue. Student organizations, meanwhile, supported continuing the mobilization and called a further demonstration for Oct. 6.¹⁴⁸