Thousands of students in France have spent more than three weeks barricading entrances to high schools and taking their grievances to the streets. Hundreds of new demonstrations have been announced across the country this Saturday.
Students are expected to be joined by workers' unions and figures from the "yellow vest" movement, which protested against rising living costs for more than a year from 2018. One prominent activist said the protests should give a voice to people who want to live decently without counting every cent.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has suggested that student anger is being manipulated as politics heats up ahead of next year's presidential election. The protests come amid social unrest, high government borrowing costs and a deeply divided parliament.
Source: BBC News, 16 October 2026