Tear gas breaches Paris, Marseille as student protests swell across France

Tue Oct 06 2026 20:33:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hundreds of thousands marched nationwide; Paris and Marseille see tear gas, police clash; 1,200+ injured, 900 arrests. Protesters demand better schools.

Hundreds of thousands of French students and parents marched across the country calling for better schools and less police repression. In Paris and Marseille riot police discharged tear gas, while water cannons were used in Rennes and clashes erupted in Lyon. Prime Minister Lecornu condemned the violence after 215 students and 85 teachers were injured, but the protests continue with about 250,000 demonstrators nationwide and 1,800 schools blockaded. Reporters on the ground describe dilapidated classrooms, leaking ceilings and a growing demand for immediate reforms. The unrest has attracted scrutiny from France's police inspectorate and the government is under pressure to respond.

Hundreds of thousands of students and parents have taken to the streets across France, demanding better schools and less police repression.

In Paris and Marseille riot police fired tear gas, while water cannon were used in Rennes and clashes erupted on Lyon’s main boulevard. Police said they had faced stone‑throwing and fireworks from some 200 students in the north of France.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that 215 students and 85 teachers had been hurt, and 715 police officers were injured. The government reports that 891 high schools were disrupted on Tuesday – about a quarter of all lycées – and claims that 250,000 demonstrators marched across the country.

A student from Marseille told an on‑scene reporter that the city’s schools have leaking ceilings and that “we can’t study for long” because of the poor conditions. Another student added that they will keep protesting until concrete measures are taken.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray has called for dialogue, but criticised “ultra‑violent elements” that joined the blockades. The COPFS union says more protests are planned for Thursday, as the national unrest continues to grow.

The incidents trace back to mid‑September, beginning in the Seine‑Saint‑Denis suburbs with complaints about overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teaching staff. The protests have now spread to universities and to schools in cities from Perpignan to Lens.