More than 400 schools and educational institutions across France have been ordered to close after ongoing student protests against educational crises and mismanagement turned violent.
In an interview with French broadcaster ‘France 2’, French Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that over 400 schools and related educational institutions were ordered to remain closed on Friday (October 2, 2026), as educational activities across various regions faced severe disruptions amid the escalating protests.
The student movement originally erupted in the Paris region last September, driven by demands to address teacher shortages and renovate dilapidated school buildings, before spreading like wildfire across the country. The demonstrations subsequently took a violent turn, leaving dozens injured and forcing police to arrest hundreds of protesters. On Thursday, arson attacks targeted at least two high schools, vehicles were set on fire in Strasbourg, and violent clashes broke out between youth and riot police in Toulouse. Furthermore, a dangerous incident occurred in the southern city of Marseille, where petrol was accidentally splashed on teachers at a school.
During an emergency crisis meeting chaired by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, domestic intelligence agencies alleged that members of the far-left political party ‘La France Insoumise’ (LFI) had instigated the unrest. However, prominent LFI lawmaker Louis Boyard dismissed the government’s allegations as completely false and baseless during an interview.
