France school protests injure 215 teenagers as teargas spreads nationwide

Police fired teargas at protesters outside French high schools on 6 October 2026 as students, teachers and parents joined the biggest day of school protests in decades. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told lawmakers that at least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff had been injured in clashes, calling it "the heaviest toll in decades paid by the school system". His office said more than 700 police officers were also hurt.straitstimes.com

The injuries matter because they mark the heaviest toll on France's school system in decades, at a moment when the government faces pressure over public debt and weak growth. The protests, which began in September in the deprived suburbs of Paris before spreading nationwide, reflect public anger ahead of a presidential election in the spring. Students complain of basic maintenance problems in schools, from water leaks to rat infestations.theguardian.com

What the prime minister told lawmakers

The interior ministry said 6,629 people have been arrested since the protests began, the overwhelming majority of them minors. More than 1,800 people are being prosecuted for unspecified crimes, including 1,483 minors, the justice ministry said. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez rejected allegations of police brutality, saying officers only intervene when there is damage or violence, and called the movement "unprecedented" because of "very serious violence".

A teenager lost a hand on 5 October during clashes with riot police in northern France. Regional newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the 15-year-old lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police grenade intended to be non-lethal. Rights groups, students and parent groups have accused authorities of using disproportionate force against minors, while the government says the movement has been hijacked by outsiders.juneesoutherncross.com.au

Injuries were counted by different bodies. Lecornu's office reported more than 700 police officers hurt, while Interior Minister Nuñez gave a figure of 761 police officers and gendarmes injured, alongside 215 students and 89 members of teaching staff. The interior ministry said 488 people had been arrested and 48 security personnel injured on 6 October alone. The marches drew more than 250,000 people in dozens of cities, though organisers said 450,000 participated.

How the injuries were counted

The High School Students Union said more than half of France's high schools were blockaded or would close for the day. The French education ministry said nearly 460 schools were affected by continuing protests, just over a half of those that joined the day of mobilisation. Some local education authorities tried to move classes online. In Paris, police said clashes began when some 300 people attempted to face off against security forces.

The government and far-right leader Marine Le Pen's National Rally party have accused hard-left France Unbouted (LFI) lawmakers and mayors of stoking the unrest. LFI denies the accusation. Lecornu has ordered ministers to tackle students' leading demands: ensuring absent teachers are replaced, reviewing the length of the 8am to 6pm school day, and the need for longer lunch breaks. He demanded first proposals by the end of October.

Finding spare cash for educational reforms will be difficult. The government is under pressure to narrow a ballooning budget deficit as investor concerns about France's growing debt, weak growth and reluctance to rein in spending push borrowing costs higher. French spending on education has lagged inflation, and the country's students trail their OECD peers in overall performance, data from the PISA 2025 assessment shows.

Where the money will come from

The left-wing CGT trade union, France's second-largest, said it would rally behind the student union's call for further street protests on Thursday. Macron convened Lecornu and other senior ministers for an emergency meeting on 6 October, broadcaster BFM reported. Parent Emilie Lhomme, protesting outside the Helene Boucher school in Paris, said the government's words were not enough to change daily life for children.