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France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu issued a warning against any escalation in ongoing high school protests after authorities arrested 164 people during demonstrations on September 28 2026. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 180 schools were affected with 12 security force members 12 students and three school staff sustaining injuries in associated incidents. Lecornu stated in a post on X that fireworks fires and violence near high schools could not be justified as they endangered students staff and police officers.
The protests which began in the Paris region last week center on student complaints including overcrowded classes teacher shortages and heavy workloads according to the Union Syndicale Lycéenne. That student union described the blockades as a legitimate response to conditions in schools and said it would push for a nationwide blockade on Tuesday in coordination with public servant walkouts. The movement has drawn support from some opposition figures who argue the grievances reflect deeper failures in the education system.
Lecornu accused lawmakers from the far-left France Unbowed party of calling for the protests to expand describing such urging as an irresponsible escalation in comments reported by Le Monde. He added that while the difficulties facing high schools must be heard and addressed violence must be condemned unequivocally with perpetrators held accountable. Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed countered that the government’s response carried a racist undertone according to coverage in La Depeche.
Demonstrations have spread beyond the initial Paris area with four high schools blockaded in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments plus actions reported in Marseille Lille and Sedan Le Monde reported on September 28. The Interior Ministry indicated police would intervene where violence occurred or where schools faced total blockades. Officials stressed that the priority remained both maintaining order and engaging with student concerns over resources.
The unrest unfolds as Prime Minister Lecornu continues to navigate political pressures following widespread strikes in September 2025 against proposed budget tightening that drew more than 500000 participants across France according to a Financial Times dispatch. Those actions highlighted ongoing discontent with fiscal policies under President Emmanuel Macron and contributed to the toppling of two prior prime ministers in parliament. Student unions have repeatedly used blockades in past years to amplify calls for education reforms with similar tactics seen in protests dating back over a decade.
Education authorities have long acknowledged strains on the secondary school network though specific annual violence tallies for 2025 were not released in the latest government updates. The current protests have prompted heightened security at affected sites while unions plan further coordinated actions in the coming days. Interior Ministry data from Monday placed the number of injured security personnel at 12 matching the student injury count.
