‘Fighting for our future’: France high school students vow no let-up

Tens of thousands of people thronged a Paris square on Thursday (October 8, 2026) demanding better education and less police brutality, as students protested nationwide despite government attempts to ease a crisis that has rocked the country for more than a week.

Students have blocked entrances to hundreds of high schools across the country, with squads of riot police deployed to control the situation — occasionally resulting in violent clashes.

A few fireworks streamed up into the sky as tens of thousands of students from schools and universities rallied in the French capital's Bastille Square on Thursday (October 8, 2026) afternoon.

Crowds of students climbed the famous monument at its centre, some waving the French flag and singing the national anthem.

A student sat with his legs dangling on the top of a bus stop, clutching a sign reading: "Reason for absence: Too busy fighting for our future."