France’s Prime Minister warns against escalating student protests

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has warned that any escalation in the current wave of student protests would be "irresponsible" after the arrest of 164 people on Monday.

The demonstrations, which began in Paris, saw teenagers blockading schools for days to protest overcrowded classes and teacher shortages.

Lecornu criticised reported incidents of fireworks, fires and violence near high schools, saying no one justifies endangering students, staff or police officers.

A French union that defends high‑school students’ interests called the protests a legitimate response to long‑standing conditions.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 12 security personnel, 12 students and three staff members were injured on Monday, and that 180 schools were affected. He did not detail those who were arrested.

The movement began last week in the Île‑de‑France region and has spread to Marseille, Lille and the Ardennes, with reports of blockades, vandalism and fireworks aimed at police.

The Union Syndicale Lycéenne defended the protests, noting teacher shortages, dilapidated schools, overcrowded schedules and the stress of Parcoursup as consequences of a decade of Macron’s policies and resource cuts.

Other unions, including teachers, hospital staff and civil servants, called for nationwide walkouts to protest low wages and working conditions.

Lecornu reaffirmed that the difficulties faced by high schools must be addressed but that violence must be condemned outright and its perpetrators brought to justice.

He also accused the far‑left France Unbowed party of encouraging students to expand the movement, while the party’s leader Jean‑Luc Mélenchon blamed the government for "ordering the crackdown" and insisted the students were harmless.

Nuñez described the demonstrations as resembling urban violence, noting masked individuals armed with fireworks and projectiles who clearly aimed to confront security forces rather than make formal demands.

Investigations have been launched into incidents where police reportedly fired a grenade launcher round that injured a high‑school student, as reported by France’s BFMTV.