Protests over education funding turned confrontational in Marseille and Lille on Thursday, as students barricaded school entrances and faced off with riot police. The clashes mark an escalation in a movement that has already disrupted campuses across France and drawn attention to the government's spending priorities.
Blockades spread beyond Paris
In Marseille, demonstrators piled furniture and bins against the gates of the Lycée Saint-Charles, while in Lille, police used tear gas to disperse crowds near the university district. Videos on social media showed masked students hurling projectiles and officers responding with baton charges. Local authorities reported several minor injuries and at least a dozen arrests.
The unrest is not confined to the south and north. Similar blockades have been reported in Lyon, Toulouse, and Rennes, with students demanding that the government reverse planned cuts to higher education and restore funding for scholarships and campus maintenance. The movement has drawn comparisons to the wave of protests that closed hundreds of schools earlier this year, though organizers insist this is a fresh campaign.
Education Minister Anne Genetet defended the budget, arguing that the government is reallocating resources to priority areas such as vocational training and digital infrastructure. But student unions reject this, pointing to rising inflation and stagnant stipends. "We are not asking for luxuries, just the means to study with dignity," said Camille Roux, a spokesperson for the UNEF union in Marseille.
The protests come at a delicate moment for President Emmanuel Macron, whose second term has been buffeted by pension reform and a cost-of-living crisis. The euro has slid to a 17-month low amid concerns over French debt, and any prolonged unrest could further unsettle markets. Analysts note that the government's ability to manage the protests will be closely watched in Brussels, where France's fiscal trajectory is already under scrutiny.
In Paris, a smaller but symbolic protest took place outside the Sorbonne, where students held banners reading "Education is a right, not a commodity." Police monitored the gathering but made no arrests. Earlier in the week, activists had torched the entrance of a Paris school, an act that drew widespread condemnation and prompted union leaders to distance themselves from violent tactics.
The unrest has also reignited debates about the role of education in France's social contract. Unlike in some other European countries, French universities are heavily subsidized, but per-student funding has stagnated for a decade. A recent report by the Cour des Comptes found that France spends less on higher education as a share of GDP than the EU average, a statistic that protesters cite frequently.
In Lille, students occupied the administration building of Sciences Po for several hours before being evicted by police. Similar occupations have occurred in Nantes and Montpellier. The tactic echoes the nuit debout movement of 2016, which began as a protest against labor reforms and evolved into a broader critique of government policy.
Local officials have expressed sympathy with the students' grievances but urged restraint. Marseille's mayor, Benoît Payan, called for dialogue, saying that "violence solves nothing." However, he also criticized the government for "provoking" students with budget cuts. The national education ministry has offered to meet with union representatives next week, but student leaders remain skeptical.
The protests are likely to continue into the coming days, with a national day of action planned for next Tuesday. Organizers hope to replicate the scale of previous demonstrations, which at their peak drew tens of thousands of participants. Whether the movement can sustain momentum will depend on the government's response and the willingness of students to endure further clashes.
For now, the scenes in Marseille and Lille suggest that the issue is far from resolved. As one protester in Lille put it, "We are not going to let them dismantle our future without a fight."
