French Student Protests Spread, Echoing May 1968

A protest movement over France's education system is spreading across the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents. Unions and student organizers call it an event of unprecedented scale.

Alice Cohen-Morzadec, international spokesperson for the French Student Union, said on Tuesday that the movement is historic and unprecedented in scale, as government sources put the number of demonstrators at 266,000. She added that some are calling it the largest movement since May 1968.

Nearly six decades ago, student protests at Paris universities began over an outdated, overcrowded education system, limited opportunities and broader political discontent. Unrest quickly spread beyond campuses, expanding into general strikes with millions of workers joining, nearly paralyzing the country under then-President Charles de Gaulle.

The current context is different, with France heading into next year's presidential election and attention focused on the far right. The protests began on September 21 at a high school in a disadvantaged Paris suburb, centered on the education budget, teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and school facilities.

However, according to historians and student organizers, these are only the direct causes, not the deeper roots. Andrew Smith, a historian of modern France at Queen Mary University of London, said young people are experiencing a crisis of hope as they face daily economic problems, political extremism, the risk of war in Europe, the threat of artificial intelligence to careers, high youth unemployment and the climate crisis.

Smith argued that students are frustrated by the lack of substantive dialogue between the government and student and union representatives in recent years. Robi Morder, a researcher on social movements in France, said the lack of communication reflects the current government's approach, as it lacks the experience of the old political class and does not know how to negotiate a social conflict.

Student organization representatives expressed frustration that they feel the government does not take them seriously. Chloe Grunenwald, vice president of the French Federation of Student Associations (FAGE), which represents about 300,000 students, said demands for a bigger education budget, more teachers and better facilities have been made for years. In interviews, many students said they joined the protests to show solidarity with those who first took to the streets.

Smith and Morder also pointed to differences from 1968, including prolonged heatwaves that make classes of more than 40 students in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius unacceptable.

Alleged police violence

Protest organizers and unions also complained about what they see as police violence. Cohen-Morzadec argued that the media are talking about burning trash bins and school blockades as a form of violence, when the real violence comes from the government.

In a sign of conciliation, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Wednesday that students' voices must be heard, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered police to temporarily stop using stun grenades against student protesters. However, these moves may not be enough to calm the anger.

Cohen-Morzadec said the movement will continue until its demands are met, especially with dates of October 17 and November 20 set as an international day for young people across Europe to fight for their future. General strikes and anti-government protests are planned for October 17, bringing together many unions to voice grievances over rising energy and food prices, proposed budget cuts and a freeze on public-sector pay.

The strikes have the support of the France Unbowed (LFI) party led by Jean-Luc Melenchon and the CGT trade union confederation. Critics accuse LFI and Melenchon of inciting violence to score points against the government, accusations they and protest organizers deny.

Grunenwald said their message has not changed, that they are fighting for their rights and that the protests are peaceful. Student unions have published a list of 10 demands, which they say would cost the government 1 billion euros (about $1.1 billion), and vowed to keep up pressure until all demands are met. Among them are more investment in schools and universities, more staff and space in higher education, better financial support and housing, affordable university meals, an end to higher tuition fees for international students, and an end to forms of repression linked to the student movement.