At least 250,000 students, teachers, and parents demonstrated across France in a sweeping wave of protests targeting deteriorating public education conditions and the heavy-handed response of the European regime. The unrest began when high school students started blockading entrances on September 17 in the Paris suburb of Creteil, quickly expanding as participants lamented dilapidated infrastructure, severe teacher shortages, and overcrowded classrooms.

The blockades were met with a remarkably muscular police response, as riot units deployed tear gas, batons, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Officials confirmed that more than 6,000 protesters have been arrested, with an overwhelming 85 percent of them under the age of 18. The French police watchdog, IGPN, has reportedly opened at least 10 investigations into allegations of police misconduct. Casualties mounted significantly, leaving 210 teenagers injured—including one who tragically lost a hand—alongside 715 wounded police officers.

Amnesty International France criticized the authorities, urging them to halt the unnecessary and excessive use of force, citing alarming reports of reckless tear gas deployment and serious injuries caused by projectiles. Although the education minister met with student leaders and the administration proposed a five-point reform plan, participants dismissed the gesture as entirely insufficient. Protesters vocally argued that the regime continuously neglects essential domestic services in favor of military spending, vowing to escalate their movement until meaningful systemic changes are secured.

Source: www.aljazeera.com