Tear gas in Paris and Marseille as school protests grow across France

What the report says

Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France as a school-led आंदोलन continued to widen, with teenagers joined by university students, parents and unions. The BBC reported that crowds marched in Paris, including from Place de la République, demanding more resources for schools and less police repression. Demonstrations also took place in Marseille, Lyon and Rennes, where police used tear gas or water cannon during clashes.

The unrest began in mid-September with complaints about overcrowded classrooms, under-resourced schools and poor building conditions, and has since spread to high schools across the country and to some universities. French authorities said Tuesday’s disruption affected 891 high schools, while student unions gave a much larger estimate of schools blockaded and people involved. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said earlier protests had left students, staff and police injured, and the government has faced pressure to answer the students’ demands more directly.

In Marseille, students described leaking roofs and deteriorating facilities, saying they were protesting to secure better conditions for learning. Elsewhere, concerns have grown over police tactics, with France’s police inspectorate examining several cases. The BBC noted that one officer has been charged over a tear-gas incident involving a student near Paris, while another serious injury to a teenager in Lens has intensified debate over how the protests are being policed.

The demonstrations matter because they have evolved from local school grievances into a broader national challenge for President Emmanuel Macron’s government, with more protests planned and political tensions rising ahead of next year’s presidential campaign.