Greta Thunberg joins French teens on new day of school protests
The protests have drawn union backing and prompted 3,000 substitute teachers after officials reported 24 brutality allegations against police.
- On Tuesday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined student demonstrators at Lycée Paul Eluard in Saint-Denis, declaring, "Our future is being robbed away from us" as France's nationwide school protests entered their fourth week.
- The movement began in late September as students demanded improved school infrastructure, additional teachers, and less-crowded schedules, driven by long-standing grievances over dilapidated facilities and staffing shortages across France.
- Authorities report more than 6,800 people, mostly minors, have been taken into custody since protests began, while officials investigate 24 allegations of police brutality; lawyers formed human chains at schools to protect students.
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray reported about 200 schools closed on Tuesday, fewer than prior weeks, while President Emmanuel Macron urged "restraint" and dialogue as organizers called for wider cost-of-living rallies on Saturday.
- Six months ahead of the presidential election, the protests have become a political flashpoint, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and left-wing hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon offering sharply contrasting responses to the unrest.
559 Articles
559 Articles
Protests have erupted in several European countries, including France, over inflation, high housing prices, unemployment, and the state of public services. In France, student protests led to violence, arson, and looting. People also took to the streets in Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and Albania over various issues. These protests saw significant youth participation.
The rise in fuel, the housing crisis and the deterioration of schools and public services spark protests in Europe.
The French youth revolt
This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. French protests have long been the stuff of legend, literature, and Broadway musicals. But even by those storied standards, last weekend’s demonstrations were pretty remarkable. More than half a million people took to the […]
Americans aren’t falling for the mainstream media narrative, they know what’s happening in Europe aren’t “student protests”
Americans aren’t falling for the mainstream media narrative, they know what’s happening in Europe aren’t “student protests” “Mainstream media is trying to convince everybody that what’s happening in France right now is about education — My opinion is that there is a massive alliance that’s going on between Islam and communists around the world, and […]
In Numbers: What Is Fueling Protests In France
The protests were launched by students demanding better learning conditions. Students and teachers have expressed their anger at overcrowded classrooms and the cut of more than 4,000 teaching posts outlined in the government's 2026 budget.
The initial student protests have expanded to nationwide riots. Radical groups and young people increasingly dominate the events on the streets. As violence increases, President Emmanuel Macron's crisis management runs counter to criticism.
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