French high school students have blockaded dozens of schools, while public sector employees are staging a strike to oppose upcoming budget cuts ahead of next year’s presidential election.
The demonstration occurred seven months before the election and just two days prior to the government’s release of its draft 2027 budget, a timing underscored by polling that shows widespread discontent with President Emmanuel Macron and his centre‑right administration.
Student protests have intensified in recent days, driven by overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers. The Ministry of National Education reported that more than 330 high schools—less than one‑tenth of the total—were affected.
On Tuesday, 40 individuals were arrested and 10 people—including students and staff—were injured. In a lycée in the Paris suburbs, teachers formed a protective line around the protesting students to shield them from police.
Masked students gathered outside the Lycée César Baggio in Lille, northern France, and set fire to waste containers, according to AFP.
Bus shelters and advertising billboards were vandalised, and bottles, paving stones, and other objects were thrown at police, who responded with tear‑gas fire.
In Nantes, western France, teenagers stacked dozens of bins to block entry to the Lycée Gabriel Guist’hau, while in Paris an uneasy standoff unfolded between roughly 30 students and a police contingent at the Arago school.
Similar clashes were reported in other cities, including Marseille in the south, Bordeaux in the west, and Lyon in the southeast.
Public workers join protests
Firefighters, noting that this summer’s severe wildfires highlighted critical resource shortages, participated in the demonstrations across multiple cities.
The Education Ministry reported that roughly 11 % of teachers and school staff took part in the strike, in a system where French teachers earn less on average than many of their European counterparts.
Participation by other civil servants was below one‑in‑ten, and hospital staff showed the lowest turnout, as the prospect of losing a day’s wages discouraged many from striking.
Civil aviation authorities warned that flight operations could be disrupted at several airports.
CGT union leader Sophie Binet warned the government that it has 48 hours to abandon the planned cuts, condemning the fourth straight year of a freeze on state employees’ base pay as part of a €2 billion ($2.2 bn) savings measure and a broader €54 billion ($61 bn) austerity programme.
