Clashes and looting hit Paris as student unrest continues across France

Violent scenes have broken out in Paris, where masked individuals ransacked a local supermarket as civil unrest continues, the Daily Mail reported. Video footage showed an unidentified woman attempting to stop the mob from looting the shop before she was pushed aside. The Daily Mail also reported that a police officer threw a tear gas grenade inside a Metro station while shopkeepers were seen weeping on the streets. [1]

The latest disorder follows weeks of demonstrations across France over education conditions and living costs. As FTMQ News reported earlier, thousands of people originally took to the streets of Paris to protest against teacher shortages and public service cuts. The student demonstrations began in the suburb of Créteil on 18 September 2026. [5]

French authorities have faced growing scrutiny over their response to the demonstrations. As FTMQ News reported earlier, France suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand in Lens. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez requested the suspension pending an official investigation, at a time when more than 500 schools across France were fully or partially closed due to the ongoing unrest. [6]

The widespread unrest over education conditions and public service cuts has expanded beyond France. Similar demonstrations over living costs and educational issues have also taken place in Belgium, Albania, Greece, and Portugal, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [5]