France Detains 440, Mostly Minors, as Student Unrest Spreads Nationwide

France faced a widening wave of student unrest on Tuesday as demonstrations and school blockades spread across the country, with authorities detaining 440 people, most of them minors, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warning against further escalation.

The Interior Ministry said 416 schools were affected, including dozens that were blocked or faced attempted blockades.

The protests, which began in the Paris region, have expanded to cities including Lille, Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes and Marseille, bringing growing pressure on authorities to contain the unrest.

Lecornu warned that allowing the demonstrations to escalate into violence would be “irresponsible”, while acknowledging that the concerns driving the protests needed to be heard and addressed. The prime minister’s warning came as authorities reported a growing number of incidents around schools and clashes between protesters and police.

Students have been protesting over conditions in the education system, including overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, demanding timetables and wider concerns about the quality and organisation of schooling.

The demonstrations became increasingly tense in several cities. Police intervened after objects were thrown during confrontations, while fires were reported near some school premises.

French authorities said 48 police officers and gendarmes were injured during Tuesday’s unrest. Education officials also reported injuries involving students and school staff, adding to concerns about the increasingly confrontational nature of the protests.

The scale of the arrests has also drawn attention because most of those detained were minors.

French authorities are now facing the challenge of responding to the students’ grievances while preventing further violence and protecting schools, teachers, students and police officers.

The student demonstrations are taking place alongside wider public-sector strikes over government spending plans and pressure on public services. The broader unrest is increasing pressure on Lecornu’s government as it prepares its 2027 budget and attempts to respond to competing demands over public spending and services.

The protests have also raised questions about how the government will handle growing dissatisfaction among young people while maintaining order around schools.

Officials have urged demonstrators to express their concerns peacefully and warned against actions that could endanger others.

Student groups have called for further mobilisation, raising the possibility of additional blockades and demonstrations in the coming days as the government faces mounting pressure over both education and wider public-sector issues.