PARIS — The French interior ministry said on Wednesday that it will deploy additional police units and set up temporary checkpoints in major cities for a national day of school protests slated for 12 October, after a series of recent demonstrations resulted in several injuries and mass arrests.
Protesters, largely composed of secondary‑school students and teachers, have been rallying against a government‑proposed overhaul of the national education code that would tighten discipline rules and expand the use of private tutoring firms. The movement, which began in early September, has spread to more than 200 schools across the country.
Escalating confrontations
On 3 October, police in Paris used a stun grenade to disperse a crowd outside Lycée Henri‑Matisse after students attempted to block a police‑mounted vehicle. The device struck a 15‑year‑old boy, causing severe injuries that required amputation of his left hand, according to hospital officials. The incident was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media, prompting renewed calls for restraint from civil‑rights groups.
In the same demonstration, police arrested dozens of participants, including several teachers who were identified as organizers. Similar actions were reported in Marseille, Lyon and Lille, where local authorities also recorded “mass arrests” of students and supporters. The interior ministry confirmed that the arrests were made under Article 433‑1 of the French Penal Code, which deals with public disorder.
Government response
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, speaking at a press briefing, said the state would “ensure public order while respecting the right to peaceful protest.” He announced that a “special operational plan” would be activated on the protest day, involving 5,000 additional officers and the use of mobile units to respond to any escalation.
The education ministry, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to the reform, stating that the changes aim to “modernise curricula, improve student outcomes and address skill gaps in the labour market.” The ministry declined to comment on the specific incident involving the stun grenade.
Legal and civil‑rights perspectives
Human‑rights organisations, including Amnesty International France, condemned the use of lethal‑type crowd‑control weapons in a school setting. In a statement, the group urged the government to launch an independent inquiry into the police conduct and to provide full medical and financial compensation to the injured student.
Legal scholars noted that French law permits the use of non‑lethal weapons only when “the proportionality of the response can be demonstrated.” They warned that the incident could trigger judicial scrutiny of the interior ministry’s operational guidelines.
Impact on the protest movement
Student unions have called the upcoming national day a “defining moment” for the education reform debate. The Fédération des Lycées et Collèges (FLC) announced that participating schools will organize sit‑ins, walk‑outs and symbolic “hand‑in‑hand” marches to highlight the boy’s injury.
Analysts at the European Policy Centre said the protests could pressure the government to amend the most contentious clauses of the reform, particularly those that increase penalties for truancy and expand private tutoring contracts.
International reaction
European Union officials expressed concern over the escalation of violence in French schools. A spokesperson for the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture said the EU “supports constructive dialogue between authorities and civil society to resolve disputes without resorting to force.”
Outside France, several foreign ministries issued travel advisories for their nationals, especially students attending exchange programs, urging them to avoid large gatherings and to stay informed of local developments.