‘We’re short of resources’: France’s student protesters, in their own words - Al Jazeera
Massive student protests in France over school conditions have led to thousands of arrests and reports of police brutality. Students are demanding better resources and infrastructure, rejecting government reform proposals as insufficient.
Why it matters
The unrest highlights growing social inequality and the friction between youth-led movements and state security responses in Europe.
French students and teachers protesting school conditions spoke with Al Jazeera about their demands.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Theo, a 19-year-old student, said people are rallying to secure more resources for schools [Phineas Rueckert/Al Jazeera] By Phineas Rueckert Published On 7 Oct 2026 7 Oct 2026 Paris, France – At least 250,000 students, teachers and parents protested across France on Tuesday , supported by trade unions and rights groups.
The demonstrations have grown since students began blockading the entrances to their high schools on September 17, starting in the Paris suburb of Creteil. The movement quickly spread throughout the city’s suburbs, with high schoolers protesting against conditions, lamenting dilapidated buildings, shortages of teachers and staff and overcrowded classrooms.
The blockades were met by a muscular police response, with riot police sent to break up the student protests.
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