France Braces for Mass Protests as Unions Join Student Demonstrations

France is anticipating widespread disruption and potential clashes on Tuesday as tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets. Powerful trade unions are set to join far-left student protests that have already seen significant violence and confrontations with police in recent days.

The student demonstrations, which began in late September, involve students blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools for 15 to 17-year-olds. Protesters cite grievances such as a lack of teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms, and buildings unable to cope with rising temperatures.

The unrest has escalated, with students engaging in acts like lighting fires in dustbins and torching bus shelters. Riot police have responded with batons, tear gas, and riot-control rounds. According to government figures, 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured since the movement began. On Monday, a 15-year-old reportedly lost a hand after picking up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers.

The national protests come at a sensitive time, with presidential elections to choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron scheduled for 2027. The education ministry and a student union reported that teaching was disrupted at 589 out of the country's 3,700 high schools and 32 universities.

In one incident on Monday, hard-left rioters set fire to the entrance of the Vauquelin high school in Paris, trapping teachers and pupils inside. The blaze, ignited by a blockade at the school's entrance, grew rapidly, with young individuals reportedly throwing materials into the fire. Approximately 100 students required evacuation, and demonstrators allegedly fired fireworks at firefighters during the operation. The head of the school described the attackers as a "very determined" group wearing hoods and masks.

Similar scenes have unfolded across the country. In Lille, students blockaded the Gaston Berger high school, gathering around a large bonfire. In Caen, the gate of Victor Hugo high school was set alight, with rioters piling bins and other items before igniting them. In central Paris, dozens of students demonstrated outside the Turgot high school, holding signs such as "We're missing our lessons to give you one." In Bordeaux, students demonstrated in front of riot police, with some aiming fireworks at officers.

Authorities anticipate between 20,000 and 40,000 demonstrators in Paris on Tuesday. The office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for "peaceful" gatherings and a return to "a structured, legal and democratic form of opposition." Sophie Binet, head of the CGT labor union, stated that union members would be present to "protect high-school students."

Several unions have accused the police of excessive force, leading to 10 internal investigations into allegations of brutality, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. The government has acknowledged student grievances and is addressing issues like teacher shortages and building renovations. However, officials also accuse hard-left activists of hijacking the protest movement.

Since the start of the unrest, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked, and over 5,000 people, predominantly minors, have been arrested. Eighty-five teaching staff have also been injured. The government is advancing legislation to hold those responsible for damaging public property financially accountable for repairs, potentially recovering costs from family allowances and housing benefits, a move union leader Binet has criticized as targeting vulnerable families.