The key facts
- 11 police officers hospitalized in Paris, said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez
- Authorities estimate the number of participants at 161,500 across the country, unions at around 480,000
- Greta Thunberg joined the protests in Saint-Denis; mass demonstrations over the cost of living are planned for Saturday
Riots amid peaceful demonstrations
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, large-scale student protests took place in France, with an estimated tens of thousands of participants. Most of the actions were peaceful, but in Paris, at Place Vauban near the Invalides, riots broke out: participants threw bottles, stones and fireworks at police officers. Police used water cannons and tear gas, as well as stun grenades, which a law enforcement official confirmed to Euronews. The use of stun grenades in France is under increasing scrutiny: the government suspended the use of one of their types after a 15-year-old schoolboy lost his hand earlier this month during a police operation near a school building.
Estimates of participation and the authorities' position
According to the authorities, about 161,500 people took part in the protests across the country on Tuesday, including 41,500 in Paris. Unions give a significantly higher estimate — around 480,000 people nationwide. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that 11 police officers were hospitalized in Paris and called the day 'particularly difficult' for law enforcement. 'I want to restate my firm position regarding aggressively minded individuals attacking police officers,' he wrote on social media.
Causes of the protests and participants' sentiments
The protests and blockades of educational institutions began in the Paris suburbs in mid-September and quickly spread across the country. The trigger was a shortage of teachers, poor material and technical conditions in schools, and overcrowded classrooms. Many participants in previous actions advocated peaceful protest, but some of those interviewed amid Tuesday's clashes argued that violence could be a legitimate response to police brutality. One protester told Euronews: 'This is an uprising of students and teachers. There is no reaction, no willingness to listen to our demands. From the police we see only violence, so we respond with violence, because no one hears us.' He added that broken shop windows and set fire to garbage bins were, in his view, not a problem, since insurance would cover the damage. Another participant admitted that 'people in masks' threw objects, including stones, at police officers, but called the use of tear gas disproportionate: 'I was just hit by tear gas, it tore my eyes out.'
Reaction of human rights advocates and the police
Human rights organizations accused the police of excessive use of force in dispersing the protests. Anne Savinel-Barras, head of the French branch of Amnesty International, called on the authorities to ensure maximum safety for young people: 'The authorities are obliged to guarantee the safety of young people, as well as to protect their right to peaceful demonstrations and create conditions for its realization. Any police action must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.' Stanislas Gaudon, national secretary of the large police union Alliance Police Nationale, previously told Euronews that the police are focused on ensuring safety near schools. 'If we are talking about individuals who opened fire on police officers or threw acid, then the use of force to disperse the crowd is necessary. I do not like using terms like 'repression' or 'suppression' of student protests. If there are no disturbances in public places, then there are no grounds for the use of force,' he said.
Greta Thunberg's participation and upcoming actions
Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg joined the protest in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, on Tuesday. Speaking to journalists outside a lycée building, she said: 'Young people are not allowed into the discussion of important issues. Our future is being taken away from us.' According to her, schools are not receiving the necessary investments, and this 'serves as a signal to young people that they are not a priority for society.' Ahead of mass demonstrations planned for Saturday over the cost-of-living crisis and rising fuel prices, some participants expressed hope that the student movement would merge with a broader societal movement. 'Anger accumulated over years is finding an outlet, and the student movement has become the spark that lit the fuse. We are here, and we will see what happens on Saturday,' one demonstrator said.
