Hundreds of thousands of French students protest over school conditions

Hundreds of thousands of students have taken to the streets across France since the end of September 2026 to protest against school conditions. BBC News reported that students are demonstrating over staff shortages and dilapidated infrastructure. In Lille, teenagers described classrooms without enough chairs and overcrowded school canteens. [1][2]

Protesting students in Lille chanted slogans against the police and burned dustbins. Demonstrators stated that long queues and short lunch breaks make it difficult for thousands of pupils to eat during the school day, as BBC News reported. [1][2]

The unrest began earlier in the autumn. As FTMQ News reported earlier, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu gave a televised address promising a plan to respond to student concerns after demonstrations began on September 21, 2026. Up to 500 high schools across France were closed during the initial wave of demonstrations. The French Interior Ministry recorded 1,949 arrests related to the student protests on October 1, 2026. [5]

In his earlier public address, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu denied that security forces had received orders to confront protesting high school students, as FTMQ News reported previously. [5]