France School Protests Escalate as Tear Gas Deployed in Paris and Marseille

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded streets across France on Tuesday as a student-led protest movement over school conditions dramatically expanded, drawing in parents, university students and trade unions. What began as localized anger in a Paris suburb has now become a nationwide phenomenon, with police deploying tear gas in Paris and Marseille and water cannon in Rennes as they confronted crowds in multiple cities.

The scale of the mobilization was substantial by any measure. The French government estimated that more than 250,000 people took part in demonstrations throughout the day, while student unions placed the figure significantly higher at 450,000. Authorities reported disruptions at 891 high schools — nearly a quarter of all lycées in the country — while organizers claimed they had blockaded 1,800 schools during what they termed "Act Three" of their movement.

In Paris, crowds of teenagers marched from the Place de la République, voicing demands for greater resources for schools and an end to what they describe as heavy-handed police tactics. Clashes erupted in Lyon between officers and demonstrators, while riot police fired tear gas in the capital and in Marseille. In Rennes, authorities resorted to water cannon to disperse crowds. Despite these confrontations, the day passed with relatively little of the serious violence that had marred earlier protests.

The human toll has been considerable since the movement began. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the violence that has accompanied the protests, revealing that 215 students and 85 school staff members have been injured, along with 715 police officers. These figures underscore the intensity of confrontations that have erupted at schools and demonstrations over recent weeks.

In Marseille, the scene was chaotic as thousands of demonstrators wound through the city, pausing to chant before moving on as police shifted their positions. A group of masked protesters seized bollards and bins in an attempt to construct barricades, prompting riot officers to fire tear gas and scatter the crowd. The cat-and-mouse dynamic reflected the unpredictable nature of the day's events across France.

Student voices have been central to explaining the movement's grievances. Alissa, a student in Marseille, rejected characterizations of protesters as violent. "Most of us aren't violent," she said. "We're going to the streets because they've closed our schools... schools are falling apart." Her friend Sacha described deteriorating conditions, noting that ceilings in Marseille schools were leaking and that the overall environment made studying difficult. "We will keep doing this until good measures are taken," he added, signaling the protesters' determination to sustain their campaign.

The political dimension of the crisis intensified as Lecornu addressed parliament, accusing the radical-left France Unbowed party of attempting to "sow chaos" ahead of presidential elections scheduled in seven months. The political calendar has added urgency to the government's response, with President Emmanuel Macron nearing the end of his second and final term and LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon currently polling second behind Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally.

Macron was scheduled to chair a meeting with ministers at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday evening to assess the situation, underscoring the gravity with which the government views the spreading unrest. The involvement of the presidency reflects concerns that the protest movement could escalate further and potentially destabilize the political landscape.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray defended his approach, stating that from the outset he had called for dialogue rather than school blockades. He complained that "ultra-violent elements infiltrated the high-school student movements," a claim that protesters have rejected. Geffray now faces mounting pressure to address the students' demands, but the measures offered so far — including a website for students to express grievances and an afternoon of internal discussion in schools on Friday — have done little to quell the unrest.

Concerns over police conduct have become a significant dimension of the crisis. Allegations of "disproportionate force" have prompted investigations by France's IGPN police inspectorate into multiple cases. One officer who fired a tear-gas grenade at a high school student in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, north-west of Paris, last week has been charged by prosecutors with "violence... resulting in mutilation or permanent disability."

The case of Eden, a 14-year-old student, has become emblematic of the controversy. He was part of a group blockading the Château d'Épluches lycée when he was struck in the face. According to his lawyer, Eden suffered a fractured jaw, broken upper teeth and lost four lower teeth. On Monday, a 15-year-old's hand was severed after a so-called anti-encirclement grenade was fired in unclear circumstances near a school in the northern city of Lens.

Authorities maintain that the teenager picked up the "sting ball" grenade, which then exploded, but students allege he was struck directly after an officer fired. The grenade is classified as a non-lethal weapon. The local prefect stated the incident occurred when police were confronted by a group of 200 to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks, highlighting the volatile situations officers have faced.

The roots of the movement trace back to mid-September, when local anger erupted in Seine-Saint-Denis, a northern Paris suburb, over overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teaching staff and dilapidated school buildings. From those initial grievances, the protests have spread across the country and extended to some universities, transforming a localized complaint into a national reckoning over the state of France's public education system.

There appears to be little prospect of the protests ending soon. France's largest union, the CGT, has announced that further demonstrations involving school and university students are being planned for Thursday. With unions, parents and university students now joining the high-school pupils, the movement has broadened its base and shows every sign of continuing to pressure the government in the days ahead.