Are student protests being manipulated ahead of France's presidential election?

What the report says

BBC World News reports that student-led demonstrations in France are intensifying as the country heads toward next year’s presidential election, with hundreds of new protests expected and unions, as well as figures linked to the yellow vest movement, set to join them. The article says thousands of students have been blocking schools and marching for weeks over education conditions and broader frustration with inequality and public services. France’s prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has argued that the unrest is being “weaponised” for political gain, particularly by the radical left and supporters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party.

The BBC says the protests reflect wider social and political tensions in France, where anger over living costs, public debt, and repeated government crises has fueled a sense of instability. It also notes that some protesters see street action as the only effective way to be heard, especially younger people who say school conditions are deteriorating and that disadvantaged communities are being left behind.

The report places the current unrest in the context of France’s long history of protest, including the 2018 yellow vest movement and the 1968 student-led uprisings. It also mentions concern over police conduct at earlier demonstrations, including injuries and the suspension of stun grenades at school protests, while stressing that the interior ministry has denied accusations of brutality. The article suggests the coming demonstrations may become a broader test of public anger and political messaging ahead of the vote.