More than 5,000 people, primarily minors, have been detained since the unrest began on Sept. 17 and has since targeted over 1,200 high schools. Twenty-four institutions were burned or ransacked, including a €75M public facility in Nantes. The confrontations with law enforcement have left 78 staff members and over 200 students injured during a wave of protests against the spending limits of President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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France Arrests 5,000 in Peak of Student Education Protests
World14 days ago
Thousands of students, teachers and parents blockaded learning centers across the country Tuesday to demand improvements to dilapidated classrooms and staffing shortages. Government officials reported that school suspensions affected hundreds of high schools during the largest day of the movement, while the Interior Ministry estimated turnout at 86,000 people, excluding those in Paris. Riot police deployed tear gas in the capital, Lyon and Strasbourg to disperse demonstrators, while some independent estimates placed Paris's turnout at up to 200,000 people.
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