France school protests turn violent: headteacher doused in petrol, schools torched

The wave of France school protests turned violent on Thursday as demonstrators doused a headteacher in petrol, set fire to schools and torched a fire engine. The unrest began last week over staff shortages and crumbling school buildings.

Police arrested 1,949 people nationwide on Thursday, most of them teenagers, while 284 people were injured, including 305 officers. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting as the demonstrations became a political flashpoint.

Marseille at the heart of the France school protests

A masked crowd attacked two schools in Marseille on Thursday morning. At the Saint-Exupéry high school, hundreds of young people surrounded a fire truck that had arrived to put out a blaze. Police said the attackers forced the firefighters to abandon the vehicle, then set it alight.

At the Victor Hugo high school, a headteacher was doused with petrol as he tried to stop arsonists from setting fire to the school. Regional authorities said the principal, his deputy, the secretary general and the head of maintenance were all assaulted.

Another school, the Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes, was hit by a major fire. Staff evacuated the building and officials said there were no injuries. The mayor’s office described the damage as important.

Arrests, injuries and accusations on both sides

Police recorded more than 900 protests and blockades across France on Thursday. Some of those detained were only 14. In all, 305 police officers were injured, and interior minister Laurent Nunez denounced what he called “unbridled violence”.

Students accused the police of heavy-handed tactics, including the use of teargas. In Saint-Denis, one young protester held up a sign that read: ‘Can we explain ourselves without being teargassed?’ At least three internal police investigations are under way, including one into claims that an officer fired a tear-gas grenade into a 14-year-old’s jaw at point-blank range.

Teachers have also been caught in the violence. The head of the Fernand Dégrugillier high school near Lille was taken to hospital after a firework struck his ear. His counterpart near Orléans was punched, and teachers in Rennes had their cars vandalised.

France school protests pile pressure on Lecornu

Lecornu held the crisis meeting on Thursday afternoon and ordered ministers to cancel all trips away from Paris so they would not strain police resources.

The timing is difficult for the government. It presented its 2027 budget on Thursday with deeply unpopular spending cuts, including €54 billion of savings.

Education minister Edouard Geffray called for schools to switch to remote classes where blockades made teaching impossible. “Violence will not keep our students from their fundamental right to an education,” he wrote on social media platform X.

The government accused the populist left party France Unbowed of whipping up the violence, saying intelligence agencies had described the movement as an “organised manoeuvre”. Jean-Luc Mélenchon denied the claim, saying the protests were “self-organised”. He added: “My greatest worry is police violence against young people.”

What happens next

With teaching impossible in many high schools and staff in danger, distance learning is set to return in the worst-hit areas. Lecornu now faces the twin challenge of calming the unrest and pushing his budget through a divided parliament.

What started the France school protests?

The movement began last week at the Paul Éluard high school in Saint-Denis. Students demanded substitute teachers, more staff, smaller classes and repairs to dilapidated buildings. They also want reform of Parcoursup, the university-application platform.

How many people were arrested and injured?

Police arrested 1,949 people on Thursday, most of them teenagers, some as young as 14. A total of 284 people were injured, including 305 police officers. More than 900 protests and blockades were recorded nationwide.

What has the government said about the violence?

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting and told ministers to cancel trips away from Paris. Education minister Edouard Geffray urged remote learning where schools were blocked. The government accused France Unbowed of whipping up violence, and the party denied the claim.

What did President Macron say?

“I can hear and understand the anxieties and anger that our youth can feel,” he said on Wednesday. “However, none of these fears legitimises violence.”