The Interior Ministry reported that 266,000 students and supporters marched in 704 cities, including 56,000 in Paris, as police fired tear gas to control crowds on Tuesday. The protests began mid‑September when high‑school students in the Paris region started blocking schools to demand more funding, and the movement has since spread nationwide.
Nearly 500 protestors were detained and 6,500 arrests have been recorded so far, most of them minors, according to the ministry. Laurent Nunez said the police response was proportionate in "almost all cases" despite the protests sometimes turning into riots that required intervention.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu urged the government to listen to students and pledged that any "accidents" would be investigated. He condemned the police as "racist" allegations as a lie, while teachers like Felix Barney called the tactics disproportionate.
In Marseille, a 15‑year‑old boy lost a hand after a police stun grenade exploded during a demonstration. The incident, which led to severe injuries for both the boy and 715 officers, has intensified calls for accountability.
The education ministry has opened an online portal for students to file grievances, and a parliamentary debate on police conduct is scheduled for Wednesday, ahead of the next presidential election.