Paris Announces Detention of Hundreds of Minors Amid Escalating Education Protests

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the detention of more than 400 people, most of whom were minors, in connection with a protest movement that began last week in the suburbs of Paris and extended to several cities.

The movement protested against overcrowded classrooms, long school hours, and teacher absences, as well as rising temperatures inside classrooms during the heat waves the country experienced this year.

The French Interior Minister told BFMTV channel that 440 people were detained across the country, adding that two-thirds of the cases were placed in police custody, and that the final tally had not yet been issued. Forty-eight security forces members were injured during clashes that saw students set fire to containers and throw projectiles at police in some areas, while security forces responded with batons and tear gas.

The Interior Minister stated that violence cannot be justified in any way, saying nothing justifies coming to educational institutions to demonstrate with masked or hidden faces, carrying projectiles, and waiting for security forces to intervene to attack them.

He noted that Tuesday's clashes included seven incidents where hydrochloric acid was thrown at police officers.

The protests began in the Île-de-France region in the suburbs of Paris before spreading to other cities across the country. According to the French Ministry of Education, 400 out of approximately 3,700 schools were affected by the protests.

French Education Minister Édouard Geffray condemned the acts of violence, writing on the X platform that judicial proceedings had begun regarding these actions, describing the violence as indescribable, and considering that legitimizing it or calling for expanded school closures endangers students and public employees, labeling it an irresponsible act.

The student movement coincided with demonstrations organized by public sector unions across France, aiming to pressure the government two days before the announcement of the 2027 budget draft.

Union marches were organized in Paris and other cities, with about one in ten teachers participating in the strike, while thousands of firefighters carried out a protest action in Paris.

About 300,000 people participated in the demonstrations according to unions, including 30,000 in Paris according to police estimates.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had described the escalation of protests in high schools as irresponsible, attacking the radical left-wing party La France Insoumise, accusing it of encouraging these movements.