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Paris police chief Patrice Faure says the student protest movement is out of control and urges peaceful action, as unions call for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday.
The student protest movement that has spread across France is now out of control, the Paris police chief said on Saturday, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful action and warning that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism.
France Protests Turn Increasingly Violent
Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Friday and unions called for teachers to strike as President Emmanuel Macron's government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding. Since Monday, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured. Agathe Foucault, a spokesperson for the national police, told RTL radio on Saturday that more than 600 police officers had also been injured.
Teachers and members of the public have been attacked, while damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros. Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X ahead of planned renewed protests from next Tuesday, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it and called on students to abandon school blockades and unrest in favor of peaceful forms of protest.
It is time to return to peaceful forms of action, Faure wrote, saying parents also had a responsibility to steer their children away from what he described as the influence of professional rioters and their supporters. Student unions have called for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday. Security officials fear that an organized protest in central Paris in particular could see further violence amid concerns that far-left anarchist groups could hijack the movement.
The students blockading high schools have voiced anger over overcrowding in classrooms, regular shortages of teachers and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment. A photo from Lille, France, taken Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, shows a student holding a board reading, we want BAC (High School Diploma) Not the BAC (Anti-criminality units) during a protest to demand more resources at school. The unrest has drawn attention across the country, with protests spreading from Paris to other cities.
Police Urge Return to Peaceful Action
On Friday, riot police clashed with students in multiple locations, and the government has struggled to restore calm. Faure's open letter, published ahead of the renewed protests planned from next Tuesday, warned that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism. He said the movement had been hijacked by professional rioters and their supporters. The police chief also called on parents to take responsibility for steering their children away from such influences.
Teachers and members of the public have been attacked, and property damage is estimated in the tens of millions of euros. Student unions have called for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday, raising fears among security officials that an organized protest in central Paris could lead to further violence. Far-left anarchist groups could hijack the movement, officials fear.
Students blockading high schools have voiced anger over overcrowding in classrooms, regular shortages of teachers and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment. The protests began over classroom conditions and funding. Faure said it is time to return to peaceful forms of action. He urged students to abandon school blockades and unrest.
Arrests Injuries and Property Damage Rise
The Paris police chief said those who launched the movement no longer control it. More than 600 police officers have also been injured since Monday, according to a national police spokesperson. Around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide, and dozens have been injured. Teachers and members of the public have been attacked, and damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros.
Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Friday as unions called for teachers to strike. President Emmanuel Macron's government is battling to contain the increasingly violent protests. The unrest is now described by the Paris police chief as out of control, and he has urged demonstrators to return to peaceful action.
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France Student Protests Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure Classroom Conditions National Demonstrations
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Paris police chief says France student protests are out of controlParis police chief Patrice Faure said the student protest movement across France is out of control and urged a return to peaceful action. About 5,000 people have been arrested and more than 600 police officers injured since Monday.
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