France has been jolted by anti-government protests and riots that ignited last month when students took to the streets demanding better school conditions, but have since devolved into violent riots in various cities.
France’s interior ministry estimates that roughly 550,000 people participated in the nationwide protests over the weekend, but organizers estimate that number is closer to 800,000. While most sects of the marches were peaceful, parts of the protests turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police and looters raided luxury stores in Paris.
On Monday, the protests continued as students blockaded the Louvre Museum in Paris, causing the world-famous art gallery to delay its opening. The organizers posted signs that said they were protesting “their government and its anti-public-services politics.”
The uproar has left many parts of France’s major cities, including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon, looking like war zones, as the student-led protests converged with labor unions, environmental activists, and other adult-led groups. French leaders have pointed to opposing political parties to blame for sowing the seeds of resentment that led to the uprisings.
Why protests began
Students began protesting France’s education system in late September, shortly after the school year commenced.
The demonstrations primarily focused on what students viewed as poor conditions in schools. Pupils cited issues with inadequately staffed schools, crumbling infrastructure, and overpacked classrooms.
Students claimed their concerns were heightened following Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s proposed budget cuts, which were included in the 2027 French budget and intended to balance the national budget.
The initial movement was confined to high schools in the Paris suburbs, but quickly spread to include university students who took issue with state-run admissions platforms for higher education that they viewed as unfair.
By Oct. 6, the protests grew into a nationwide mobilization effort in which students blockaded high schools, disrupting approximately 589 schools.
As the protests grew, so did the violence. Students set fire to schools, and thousands were arrested. The leftist sect of French politics backed the student riots, including France Unbowed, one of the country’s most left-wing parties. The party posted a “message to the government” on social media stating, “the youth has legitimate demands, you must listen to them!”
The riots were further intensified as protesters clashed with police, who were reported to have responded with force. A teenager’s hand and lower arm were blown off in the town of Lens by a stun grenade thrown by riot police dispersing a crowd, and another minor’s jaw was broken after being struck by a police tear gas grenade.
While the outrage stemmed from students’ gripes over school conditions, the frustration expanded to include cost-of-living concerns and greater discontent with French President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership. The added causes have led other left-wing activist groups to enter the fray.
Outside organizations expand protests
In the past few weeks, the protests have grown to include labor unions and other activist groups, leading to the largest demonstration on Saturday.
A Fox News Digital investigation found 54 different organizations tied to the protests, only about 16 of which were comprised of students.
One of the groups tied to the movement is Gilets Jaunes, or “Yellow Vests,” a left-wing group that became widely known for grassroots organizing against a planned tax on fuel nearly a decade ago. Additionally, the General Confederation of Labour, one of the largest unions in France, joined the protests to express outrage over affordability and failures to increase wages.
Several other groups identified by Fox News Digital to have joined in the protests had ties to communist and socialist youth groups, Muslim and pro-Palestine organizations, and international communist organizations.
The largest day of protests also brought the greatest destruction. Looters joined the protests-turned-riots, and on Sunday, videos from Paris showed luxury stores, including Louis Vuitton and Celine, being ransacked.
Protesters broke into City Hall in Marseille and knocked over a bust of Marianne, a longtime symbol of the Republic, while a tourism office in Lyon was also broken into and set ablaze. A statue of Joan of Arc in Paris was also vandalized, according to videos on social media. The small city of Ligomes’s town hall is “largely lost” after being set on fire.
At least 2,400 people were arrested over the weekend as a result of the protests, and at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted.
The demonstrations have also expanded beyond France’s borders, as riots focused on a broader set of domestic grievances erupted in Belgium and Italy.
Despite the protest expanding with no clear resolution in sight, French leaders have only moved to place the blame for the unrest.
Political leaders trade blame as Macron weighs response
Macron’s government is facing mounting pressure from both sides of the political spectrum over its handling of the unrest, with opposition leaders blaming the administration for failing to address protesters’ grievances and prevent widespread violence.
Lecornu on Monday called for limited, localized curfews in areas affected by rioting and looting, according to reports. The government has not ruled out declaring a state of emergency as authorities attempt to contain the violence.
Macron also rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s offer to resign following criticism of the police response. Nunez said he was “responsible for everything that is happening.”
Instead, Macron directed Nunez to restore order and review failures in intelligence gathering and police operations that left authorities unprepared for the scale of demonstrations.
The unrest has also fueled a political dispute over who bears responsibility for the violence.
The prime minister has blamed the unrest on “an ultra-left movement intent on orchestrating profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election,” particularly calling out the left-wing France Unbowed Party, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. The leftist leader has rejected allegations that the party has incited violence and accused the government of using excessive police force against demonstrators.
The blame game has also spread into the United States, as President Donald Trump on Sunday said the uprisings were the result of France’s open borders, claiming “people with hatred in their hearts” have “shattered” the country.
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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) used the protests to call for change in America, claiming the unrest in France is the result of a nation letting “wealth and power accumulate in the hands of a few.”
“This is what happens when young people lose hope in their future,” Khanna said. “In America, let us listen to our young.”