France's School Protests Enter Third Week as Violence Escalates and Political Pressure Mounts on Macron

Protests across France have now stretched into their third consecutive week, with tens of thousands of high school students and trade union members taking to the streets in cities nationwide. What began as a localized boycott in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Paris on September 21 has since evolved into a broad-based national movement, drawing in parents, public sector workers, and political activists. Some of the largest demonstrations yet were recorded on Tuesday, underscoring the growing momentum behind the unrest.

At the heart of the student movement are deep frustrations over the state of France's high schools, known as lycees, particularly in economically deprived areas. Pupils say that when teachers are absent, replacements are rarely provided. School buildings in many cases are dilapidated and sometimes infested with rodents. Students also complain of insufficient desks and chairs, overcrowded classrooms, and excessively long school days. The severe heatwave that struck France during the summer worsened conditions in aging school facilities, many of which lack air conditioning, compounding years of neglect.

The student demonstrations have dovetailed with broader public sector strikes over the government's proposed 2027 budget, which seeks to achieve 54 billion euros ($61.3bn) in savings as President Emmanuel Macron's administration attempts to rein in a ballooning public deficit. Public sector employees and unions are particularly angered by a plan to freeze salaries, a measure intended to save approximately two billion euros ($2.27bn). The convergence of student and labor grievances has created a formidable challenge for a government already grappling with fiscal strain and declining public approval.

Parents have increasingly joined the protests, driven by outrage over what they describe as heavy-handed police tactics against minors. In Paris's 20th district on Tuesday, demonstrators outside the shuttered Helene Boucher lycee overturned rubbish bins and bicycles to form makeshift barricades, according to the Associated Press. Parents positioned themselves between the young protesters and police lines to shield their children from potential confrontation. Emilia Sichili Suriam, a member of a parents' association, voiced the sentiment shared by many: "They are our children. Teachers, parents, federations, we all share the same goal: the protection of children's rights, and it is a legitimate right to demonstrate and to make demands."

The human toll of the unrest has been significant. According to Education Minister Edouard Geffray, at least 190 high school students have been injured since the protests began. On Sunday, he reported that 78 teaching staff members had also been hurt, and that 24 schools had been either burned or ransacked. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated on Tuesday that 715 police officers had sustained injuries. By early Tuesday, authorities had arrested at least 6,100 people, many of them under the age of 18, raising serious questions about the proportionality of police responses.

One incident in particular has intensified scrutiny of law enforcement tactics. In the northern city of Lens on Monday, a 15-year-old boy lost his hand after reportedly coming into contact with a police stun grenade that exploded. Public prosecutors are investigating whether the teenager picked up the device or whether it detonated while in contact with him. The case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over the use of force against young demonstrators. Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the police response, citing media reports of students being struck with batons and rubber bullets, and sprayed with tear gas.

Interior Minister Nunez rejected the criticism on Tuesday, insisting that police actions had been proportionate in "almost all cases." He further claimed that the protests were degenerating into "riots," a characterization disputed by demonstrators and their supporters. Officials reported that 589 schools had been disrupted during the current week, a decline from 735 on the previous Friday. Protesters, however, remained undeterred, blockading schools and staging demonstrations in Marseille, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, and other towns and cities.

The scale and persistence of the protests have drawn attention to the broader political context in which they are unfolding. They coincide with wider public discontent over soaring fuel and commodity prices, reduced public spending under Macron, and a general sense that the government is out of touch with ordinary citizens. Government officials have accused opposition political groups and union leaders of exploiting the student movement for their own ends. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu alleged last week that political opponents were actively encouraging escalation.

For Macron, the crisis represents yet another in a series of high-profile protests that have marked his presidency and hampered his reform agenda. With elections scheduled for April and May of next year, the images of police chasing students through the streets carry considerable political weight. Jacob Ross, a France expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), told Al Jazeera that while Macron will not be running in the next elections, his reputation and that of his government have been damaged. "He is not taken seriously any more because many think of him as already out of government," Ross said, though he added that the situation remains highly significant.

The unrest also highlights long-standing structural inequalities in France's education system, particularly the stark divide between schools in affluent and impoverished areas. Students in deprived neighborhoods have for years complained of insufficient resources, and the current protests have brought those grievances to the national stage. The government's proposed budget cuts have only deepened the sense of abandonment felt by many young people and their families.

As the protests continue, the pressure on Macron's administration shows no sign of easing. The combination of student anger, union mobilization, parental support, and public outrage over police violence has created a volatile situation that could shape the political landscape well beyond the current school year. With the fiscal crisis unresolved and elections on the horizon, the government faces the difficult task of restoring calm while addressing the root causes of the discontent. Whether it can do so without further inflaming tensions remains an open question.