French presidential campaign heats up as student protests fuel political clashes
Students and public-sector workers are protesting planned budget cuts and school conditions, with more than 400 detained as unrest spread to dozens of schools, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Sept. 29, high school students across France blockaded dozens of schools to protest overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, resulting in clashes with police and over 400 detentions as the movement spread nationwide beyond Paris.
- Coordinated disruptions fused with nationwide public-sector strikes as workers and students protested a proposed €54 billion austerity drive, which includes a fourth consecutive annual pay freeze for state employees designed to save €2 billion.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported 440 detentions and 48 injuries to law enforcement officers during violent clashes outside schools. Officials estimated repair costs at €200,000, while students displayed slogans including "more hours of lessons than sleep."
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the escalation as "irresponsible," accusing the far-left France Unbowed party of hijacking the movement. Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon countered, calling the government's response a "crackdown" with "obvious racist undertones."
- The unrest complicates Lecornu's path to passing the 2027 budget, due for unveiling on Thursday. With presidential elections seven months away, the protests underscore deep public dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron's minority government.
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Since Monday, 119 students and education staff members have been injured during the student protests in France, according to the French Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray. Additionally, 83 police officers and gendarmes were injured, according to Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez.
In France's schools, violence is escalating. On Tuesday, more than 400 schools are said to have been affected, especially in immigrant-influenced neighbourhoods. There are about 440 arrests and 31 injured.
Der Tagesspiegel
HandelsblattArson, injured teachers and students: The protests in France's schools are escalating. How does President Macron react?
Arson, injured teachers and students: The protests in France's schools are escalating. How does President Macron react?
volksfreund.de
saarbruecker-zeitung.deArson, injured teachers and students: The protests in France's schools are escalating. How does President Macron react?
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