France is bracing for a new round of student protests on Tuesday, as participants seek to maintain the momentum of a movement that began in mid-September and press for improved educational conditions. Some protesters view the new mobilisation as a turning point, while the French government hopes the protest movement has begun to lose momentum.
Widespread participation expected in protests
The planned action comes amid a renewed wave of protests, after around 256,000 people took part in demonstrations last Tuesday, according to Interior Ministry figures. Students continue to demand a government response to their concerns, while the authorities seek to contain unrest that has disrupted the operation of educational institutions in several major cities.
On Friday, the government pointed to a sharp fall in the number of secondary schools where lessons had been suspended or protests had taken place outside their gates. The Education Ministry said more than 96 per cent of secondary schools were open on Friday, while 130 institutions were closed, compared with 172 the previous Friday.
School closures decline as violence escalates
The ministry said that “the movement is therefore clearly losing momentum”, without specifying how many institutions had been disrupted after their entrances were blocked. At the same time, it warned that violence linked to the protests was increasing, saying: “Despite the decline in institutional closures, acts of violence are escalating.” It reported that at least eight national education workers were injured on Monday, as some institutions remained closed or their activities were disrupted.
In the Paris region, the activities of around 80 secondary schools were disrupted, while a school head, an employee and the parent of a student were injured on Monday. The authorities are working to bring the wave of protests to an end, particularly after online activists called for additional demonstrations next Saturday in protest against living conditions.
New calls revive the atmosphere of the Yellow Vest movement
The new calls evoke France’s Yellow Vest movement in 2018, when mass demonstrations marked by clashes with police were held in protest against a plan to raise fuel prices during President Emmanuel Macron’s first term. French authorities are still assessing the losses resulting from the protests. A government source told journalists last week that the cost of the damage recorded up to that point was “no less than €30 million”.
The Justice Ministry also announced on Friday that more than 6,800 people had been arrested since the demonstrations began, adding that minors accounted for 86 per cent of those detained. Clashes between protesters and riot police resulted in serious injuries among students, prompting widespread criticism of police practices.
The government decided to temporarily ban the use of stun grenades after one caused a student to lose a hand, while police opened 18 internal investigations into allegations against their officers. In an attempt to respond to the students’ demands, the government presented what it described as tangible proposals last week.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised on Sunday that the 2027 budget would include additional resources allocated to schools, with the aim of addressing a range of demands expressed by students through an online platform set up by the government.
