French Prime Minister Suspends Lessons Amid Violent School Protests
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suspended high school lessons after nationwide protests over budget cuts led to thousands of arrests and hundreds of injuries.
Tens of thousands of students across France have blockaded schools to protest chronic staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and budget cuts. The unrest expanded on Tuesday to include hundreds of thousands of parents, teachers, and public sector workers, who also criticized an opaque university selection process and inadequate resources for heatwaves.
Sébastien Lecornu, the Prime Minister of France, suspended formal high school lessons for the remainder of the week to allow for discussions between staff and students. While Lecornu stated that core demands should be addressed, he recently proposed 54 billion euros in budget cuts, including reductions to school funding. He condemned the violence accompanying the protests, stating that "attacking a teacher does not help replace teachers" and "burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings."
Security forces deployed to break blockades have resulted in more than 4,000 minors being taken into custody, with over 200 students and 700 police officers injured. The hard-left France Unbowed party and various rights groups have accused police of using disproportionate force against minors. Lecornu dismissed these claims as a "lie," accusing the party of attempting to create chaos before the 2027 presidential election. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen has called for stricter anti-riot legislation, accusing the hard left of fomenting the unrest. Major unions are planning further demonstrations for November.
