The start of the second week of closures in hundreds of French high schools falls on Monday, as protests triggered by dilapidated educational facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and teacher shortages precede the nationwide demonstration day on Tuesday.
These national rallies and blockades reflect a tense social climate in which the French government is attempting to approve the 2027 budget aimed at reducing the deficit. Last week, the yield on French ten-year bonds briefly exceeded 5%, the highest level since 2002, as protests heightened investor concerns about the country's financial standing.
Education Minister Édouard Geoffroy announced on Sunday evening that around 400–500 out of a total of 3700 high schools were completely or partially closed in France on Monday.
On Monday, the channel BFMTV broadcast footage of clashes between police and students in Lille, located in northern France; the use of tear gas in Toulouse in the southwest; and scenes of arson when people attempted to enter a school in central Paris.
The protests began in late September in a suburb of Paris at a high school due to a shortage of teachers, after which they spread across the country.
Since last Monday, about 5,000 people, mainly teenagers, have been arrested across the country, and dozens of people have been injured. There have been instances of attacks on teachers and civilians, and property damage is estimated at tens of millions of euros.
Paris Police Chief Patrice Fort stated in an open letter published on X on Saturday that the protest organizers no longer control them and called on students to abandon blockades in favor of peaceful demonstrations.
Nevertheless, student unions have called for a nationwide demonstration day on Tuesday. Security personnel fear that the organized protest, especially in central Paris, could lead to further violence amid concerns that far-left and anarchist groups might attempt to take control of the events.