The Hindu's Picture of the Week: Students at the Bastille
Police used batons and water cannon as thousands of schoolchildren protested education underfunding and reported injuries mounted, including eye loss and broken jaws.
- On Thursday, October 8, 2026, schoolchildren clashed with riot police at Bastille Square in Paris during a nationwide day of action demanding improved learning conditions.
- Underfunding poses a serious threat to social mobility in France, where students in deprived neighborhoods face fewer opportunities than peers in developed nations.
- Anouk Vandecasteele, an English teacher in Lille, cited "previously unseen" police brutality, noting reports of a 15-year-old injured in Lens and a 14-year-old who lost teeth.
- Presidential candidate Jean-Luc declared "the Bastille has been retaken," praising the "powerful demonstration" and calling supporters to mobilize on Tuesday, October 13.
- One student warned that violent outbursts are "normal" if demands remain unheard, invoking the French Revolution and suggesting youth could revert to violence as expression.
11 Articles
11 Articles
French student protesters swarm historic Bastille site — slam education leaders’ pledge for change as ‘hot air’
High school students and their supporters swarmed France's historic Place de la Bastille on Thursday in their latest violent clash with police — as fuming protesters blasted the Ministry of Education's pledge for change as "hot air."
The Hindu's Picture of the Week: Students at the Bastille
The Hindu's Picture of the week: A reawakening of history: Protesters hold a banner at the base of Bastille Square’s monument during a demonstration, part of a nationwide day of action, called by high school students in France who have been demanding better learning conditions through protests that have been punctuated by violent confrontations, in Paris on October 8, 2026.
Students missing with hydrants and tear gas. Unicef's report to the police (ANSA)
Scenes of chaos unfolded in Bastille Square, with students remaining unyielding to demands - The government's package of measures is due by the end of October
Zefre promises an "emergency plan" to replace absent teachers - What students are saying
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