French high school students protest nationwide over deteriorating school conditions

Seventeen-year-old Raphael participated in a demonstration outside a school in Strasbourg, where protesters placed barriers to obstruct nearby tram tracks.

In an interview with AFP, he expressed frustration about his school’s facilities, noting leaky rooms and insufficient toilets.

“The building is falling apart, the cafeteria is too small. There is no budget, no resources, not enough supervisors,” Raphael said.

Although France’s next general election is still months away, the protests and the authorities’ response have become highly politicised.

The government and right‑wing politicians have accused the far‑left of inciting the demonstrations, which are organised by a union representing lycée students.

Bally Bagayoko, mayor of a Paris suburb and a member of the leftist La France Insoumise (LFI) party, defended previous comments that violence could be justified in certain circumstances, citing alleged shootings of protesters not wearing helmets or bulletproof vests.

LFI leader and presidential candidate Jean‑Luc Mélenchon stressed he favoured non‑violent protests, while arguing that blaming the left would not solve the issues motivating the demonstrations.

Marine Le Pen, the hard‑right National Rally’s leader, earlier stated that the incidents were no longer simple student protests but ‘riots organised by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise.’ She called for the enactment of a new anti‑rioting law.

Benoît Payan, the left‑leaning mayor of Marseille, condemned the ‘unacceptable violence’ in his city. While young people were ‘legitimately concerned’ about their future and public services, they should express themselves calmly, he said.

Eric Ciotti, the mayor of Nice representing The Republicans, said that parents of individuals who damage school property should be held financially responsible for the repairs.

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