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2w ago

Lycée Blockades Escalate as Nationwide Clashes Force School Closures

Violent confrontations have forced hundreds of schools to shut, prompted three IGPN probes, spurred nearly 2,000 arrests and led the government to withdraw a contested fee plan.

Un blocus, devant le lycée Albert-Calmette, à Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), jeudi 1er octobre 2026.
Le lycée Augustin-Fresnel, à Caen (Calvados), jeudi 1er octobre 2026. Il fait partie des établissements bloqués par des lycéens réclamant plus de moyens.
La mobilisation de lycéens se poursuit comme ici lors d’une manifestation improvisée dans le centre de Toulouse jeudi 1er octobre 2026.
AUBERVILLIERS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 1: Police fire tear gas towards French students during a march through the streets of Aubervilliers, on October 1, 2026 in Aubervilliers, a northern suburb of Paris, France. In a wave of demonstrations that began around Paris last week and spread across France, secondary students have blockaded schools in protest against overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and long class schedules. According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, more than 400 have been detained, many of them minors, as some protests turned violent where students and police clashed. (Photo by Tom Nicholson/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Following Thursday's surge in unrest, authorities said 1,027 lycées were affected and about 1,949 people were arrested during nationwide blockades.
  • Ministers reported more than 300 police and gendarmes wounded and hundreds of education staff and pupils injured, with officials tallying roughly 65 school employees and 170 students hurt.
  • The government ordered roughly 400 schools closed for safety, shifted many classes to remote learning, banned demonstrations near closed sites and pulled a proposed BTS and prépa fee from the 2027 budget.
  • Three separate investigations have been opened and entrusted to the IGPN after filmed interventions raised questions about police conduct, and prosecutors have opened inquiries into serious wounds in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône and Tours.
  • Regional officials estimate millions in damage—Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes cites €25–30 million—political leaders trade blame over outside radical influence, and unions and student groups met the education minister as new national actions are planned for October 6.