Riot police clash with students at Paris Bastille protest

Riot police clashed with student protesters near the Place de la Bastille in central Paris on 8 October 2026, firing tear gas grenades and deploying a water cannon as crowds surged against their shield lines. The interior ministry said more than 71,000 people took to the streets across France on Thursday, the 10th day of a protest movement over the state of the country's schools.cbsnews.com+1

The protests are driven by chronic teacher shortages, crowded and dilapidated school buildings, long school days and rising costs. Students have blockaded high schools for more than two weeks, arguing that years of underinvestment have left classrooms without enough teachers and buildings in disrepair. The movement has drawn support from teachers, parents and trade unions, and has grown into a nationwide campaign rather than a series of isolated school disputes.

Why the protests began

On Thursday, large crowds marched in Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Toulon and Marseille, while in Paris a procession moved through the city centre to the Place de la Bastille. An estimated 25,000 students filled the square, some climbing the July Column monument that commemorates France's 1830 revolution, waving the tricolour and singing the Marseillaise. Most demonstrations across France were peaceful, but clashes broke out in parts of Paris, Nantes and Rennes.reuters.com

As evening fell in Paris, riot police fired tear gas and crowd-dispersal rounds and carried out repeated baton charges to clear the square. Some protesters hurled bottles, paving stones and other projectiles at the armoured squads. Authorities said anti-riot police clashed with protesters on the fringes of the Place de la Bastille at around 5 p.m. (1500 GMT), and that a group of around 20 black-clad, masked protesters threw objects at police in Rue de la Bastille. Police said a water cannon was used to keep at bay violent individuals targeting officers.

The government offered concessions on Thursday but students said they fell short. Education Minister Édouard Geffray told TF1 television that 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed to about 100 high schools with particularly acute teacher shortages between the following day and Tuesday, and said he would authorise the recruitment of several hundred new teachers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government would propose amendments to the 2027 budget to translate some student demands into concrete measures, particularly on teacher replacements.

What the government offered

Geffray also said he was launching an emergency plan to ensure absent teachers are replaced on a long-term basis and reviewing heavy school timetables, describing student requests as "deeply commendable." Lecornu pledged late on Wednesday to present "concrete, quick and fully funded responses" by late October, without specifics. Student union president Ryad Rani said the protesters had heard "no concrete measures whatsoever, no response to our demands," and that the movement "will continue."

The human toll has been significant. At least 215 teenagers, 89 school staff and 761 police officers have been injured since the protests began, according to figures cited in the reporting. The government on Wednesday suspended the use of stun grenades by police after a teenager's hand was blown off, while saying it was "excessive" to speak of "police repression" and denying that officers had orders to confront young protesters. Hundreds of arrests have also been reported.

Where the injuries were counted

Public opinion is split. An Elabe poll for BFM TV found that 72% of French people think the students' demands are legitimate, but 55% think the protests should stop. The education ministry said 224 high schools were shut on Thursday morning and 157 by lunchtime, meaning about 95% of the country's high schools were at least partly open. Sabrine Kharbach of a students' association said protests would last "for as long as €10bn hasn't been put on the table."

Student and education unions have called for another nationwide day of mobilisation and strikes on 13 October, with the CGT, France's largest trade union federation, backing the action and Secretary General Sophie Binet publicly calling for the movement to continue. Unions also called for a national day of action in support of the students next Tuesday. Lecornu's promised detailed responses are due by late October, setting up a further confrontation over school funding.