Macron Faces Massive Protests Over Schools and Police Tactics

France saw its largest youth-led demonstrations in years on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand better schools and fairer policing.

The government estimated that at least 400,000 people marched nationwide, a figure that trade unions believe was actually double that amount. In Paris alone, officials counted at least 110,000 marchers along the eastern edge of the city. The scale of the mobilization required a heavy security presence, with more than 70,000 police officers deployed across the country. To prepare for the crowds, many local shops boarded up their windows and numerous museums closed their doors. This large turnout came just one week after a violent weekend that saw public buildings burned and at least 2,700 arrests.

The marchers included a mix of generations, from high school students to their grandparents. In the capital, the atmosphere remained relaxed for much of the afternoon, with brass bands playing music and families walking together. Banners carried by the crowd criticized the government’s handling of the crisis, with slogans such as "Oppression breeds rebellion" and "The right to protest." However, the mood shifted at the end of the route near Porte de Vincennes. There, groups of masked men in black, who had not been part of the peaceful main group, threw glass bottles and stones at officers. Police responded with teargas, water cannon, and stun grenades. Similar clashes occurred in other major cities, including Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, Toulouse, and Marseille.

The current crisis stems from student protests that began in mid-September. Students aged 15 to 18 initially took action against staff shortages, leaking roofs, crumbling structures, and a lack of seating in overcrowded classrooms. The movement has since expanded to include teachers, parents, and trade unions. Anger has also been directed at President Emmanuel Macron, who is in his final months in office. Critics accuse him of banning non-union demonstrations he deems illegitimate and of keeping protesters away from city centers. Police investigations are currently underway after several children and adults were injured by explosive weapons used by law enforcement.

Several participants expressed their frustration with the current political climate. Nadège, a 43-year-old communications worker who was teargassed the previous weekend, said she returned to the streets to defend the legal right to protest. A 21-year-old student from a blockaded science faculty described the country as increasingly authoritarian. Jérôme Rodrigues, a figure from the 2018 yellow vests movement, warned that the government was pushing demonstrators to the edges of cities to keep them away from power. He noted that demonstrations are likely to continue every weekend. In Orléans, thousands also protested against a congress hosted by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party, chanting for both Le Pen and Macron to step down.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that 135 people were arrested across France on Saturday. He stated that police confiscated various items, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, improvised weapons, a katana sword, and airsoft guns. The government remains under pressure to address the underlying issues that sparked the unrest before the president leaves office next year.