Protesters are demanding an end to teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and rigid timetables, citing dilapidated facilities and poor temperature control. These demonstrations coincide with strikes by firefighters and public sector workers protesting planned 2027 budget cuts ahead of the next presidential election. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has asked ministers to cancel official trips to focus prefectural resources on containment, while President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attacks from Madrid.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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French Protesters Injure 202 and Disrupt 356 High Schools
World20 days ago
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that suspects threw hydrochloric acid at law enforcement officers during a wave of nationalist unrest that has led to more than 1,000 detentions since Tuesday. The violence has spread to 356 high schools and around 30 university faculties, resulting in 119 injuries among students and staff and 83 among police and gendarmes. Clashes in cities such as Marseille and Nantes have involved mortar-fired fireworks and the torching of campus buildings, with damages in the Ile-de-France region alone exceeding €1 million.
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