International

France Rocked by Student Protests

THT Report • October 6, 2026

France has been hit by widespread protests and clashes as students demonstrate against problems and poor management in the education sector. Police have arrested more than 6,000 people during the three-week movement.

French media reported that around 90,000 people joined the protests on Tuesday (October 6), even before the main march in Paris had begun.

Clashes between protesters and police were reported in several places, especially in Lyon and Rennes. Two teenage girls were also injured during clashes in Le Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis, according to BFM TV.

After a week of intense clashes between students and police, more than 560 schools across France have been partly or fully closed.

French Education Minister Édouard Geffray said classes had been suspended at many schools because of the unrest. He added that protesters had damaged or set fire to 24 schools in Paris and other areas since the movement began.

Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure urged students to stop blocking schools and continue their protests peacefully. He also warned parents that professional troublemakers may be involved in the violence.