French students protest as police arrest record numbers

More than 1,000 people were arrested by French police on October 25, adding to a growing total of detainees during the ongoing student protests. This latest wave of detentions brings the total number of people in police custody since the movement began in September to over 11,000. Of the 7,950 individuals detained by October 14, 85 percent were minors. Another 2,700 people were taken into custody after the demonstrations on October 17.

The protests stem from years of declining living conditions and deteriorating public services. Students are demanding changes to an educational system that has faced increasing financial strain. According to the French education ministry, 20.2 million teaching hours were missed in state secondary schools during the 2024-25 academic year. This figure excludes the island of Mayotte. Roughly 15 million of those missed hours resulted from absent teachers who were not replaced.

Infrastructure issues are visible in schools across the country. In Acoua on the island of Mayotte, the Cite du Nord secondary school is built for 900 students but currently houses 2,300. The facility suffers from poor ventilation, water supply failures, and unsanitary restrooms. In Sevran, a suburb of Paris, pupils and staff at Blaise-Cendrars secondary school have reported water leaks, mold, and a shortage of desks and chairs since 2024. At Marcelin-Berthelot secondary school in Pantin, windows remain closed during heatwaves that can reach 40 degrees Celsius.

Police responses to the demonstrations have included the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades. Fourteen-year-old Eden suffered a fractured jaw and lost teeth after being hit by a tear gas grenade. Sixteen-year-old Mael lost sight in one eye following a suspected rubber bullet strike. Fifteen-year-old Evan lost a hand to a police stun grenade.

President Emmanuel Macron has deployed 70,000 police officers to manage the unrest. He promised to reform the university entrance platform after meeting with 20 students on Friday. He did not address the group’s primary demands. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has urged political opponents to pick a side between the Republic, which he associates with police, and the rioters. Macron has also pledged to ban future protests and accused the far left of trying to destabilize the state.

The government cites rising poverty as a backdrop to the unrest. Nine.8 million people in France currently live below the official poverty line. Oxfam data indicates that 53 French billionaires hold wealth equal to that of nearly half the population. Since 2017, government spending per student has dropped by 20 percent, according to economist Lucas Chancel.