Student Protests in France

On October 7, 2026, a multitude of posts about one video circulated on social media. The video depicted the Mayor of France holding back a group of protesting teenagers from policemen and repeatedly telling them to stop.

France is experiencing their largest student protests in decades–all stemming from education budget cuts. €54 million were cut from public spending which caused about 40% of primary school teachers to stop working. Students began to lack in school due to shortages. The president of the Union Syndicale Lycéene, Ryad Rani, urged the students in France to blockade their high schools as resistance while encouraging a peaceful protest. Most students remained peaceful, but numerous delinquents looted and lit fire to a plethora of vehicles. To counteract this, the police threw tear gas and swung batons at the protesters. Many teacher, along with the mayor, stood in front of the students to protect them.

Bally Bagayoko, France's mayor, had been a notable figure at the protests. He was seen shoving teenagers behind him from the police to shield them from the tear gas. Since the start of the protests, he has been there helping and observing. In an interview, he said , “I have seen high school students forming a human chain specifically to prevent other students from being confronted [by the police]. I have seen teachers do it. I have seen elected officials do it, too. And unfortunately, it doesn’t get much attention.” After Bagayoko was teargassed, videos of him circulated around social media of him getting medical attention with eye drops. About 550,000 protesters hit the streets of France, 110,000 in Paris alone. More than 400 people, mostly children, have been arrested on Tuesday for blockading schools. And more than 600 officers have been injured from these protests.

Image Courtesy of Jorge Jaramillo on Wikimedia Commons.