Greta Thunberg Joins French School Protests, Broadening Activism

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has joined thousands of students in France who are protesting for improved investment in dilapidated schools. The demonstrations, now in their fourth week, have led to school closures and increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government.

On Tuesday, over 160,000 schoolchildren and trade unionists participated in nationwide marches, with some encounters involving riot police firing tear gas. Thunberg was present at a protest outside the Paul-Éluard lycée in Saint-Denis, where lawyers formed a human chain to shield students from alleged police brutality.

"Young people are not being included in the conversation," Thunberg stated, emphasizing that "our future is being stolen from us and, as we have seen here, schools are not getting the investment they need." Similar demonstrations have occurred in cities such as Lyon, Lille, and Marseille, highlighting issues like teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and aging school buildings.

This involvement in the French school protests is part of a broader pattern of Thunberg supporting various left-wing causes beyond environmental activism. In the past, she has participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations, advocated for the rights of the Sami Indigenous people in Norway, and shown solidarity with transgender rights campaigners in Scotland.

During the Israel-Hamas conflict, Thunberg attended pro-Palestine protests in several European countries, often wearing a keffiyeh scarf as a symbol of solidarity. She was removed by police at a demonstration in Malmö, Sweden, ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, protesting Israel's participation in the event. Thunberg told the BBC that there is a "moral obligation to act" against Israel's military operation in Gaza.

In October 2025, Thunberg was detained by Israeli forces after the Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying aid for Gaza, was intercepted. The flotilla, which departed from Spain, aimed to deliver aid directly to the Palestinian territory. Israel stated the vessels were approaching an active combat zone and violating a naval blockade, detaining approximately 443 individuals.

Thunberg's activism has also extended to London, where she was arrested in December 2025 for participating in a demonstration supporting Palestine Action-affiliated hunger strikers. She held a sign outside an Aspen Insurance building stating, "I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide." The protest targeted Aspen for allegedly providing services to Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of an Israeli weapons manufacturer.

In December 2022, Thunberg expressed support for transgender rights campaigners in Edinburgh who attempted to block the screening of a film deemed "transphobic." She responded to an environmental activist defending the protest with heart emojis.

In October 2022, Thunberg joined demonstrators in Stockholm to advocate for "antifascism, antiracism, and climate justice," supporting asylum seekers and protesting discrimination. The following year, she participated in a protest blocking the entrance to Norway's energy ministry in Oslo, opposing a wind farm that allegedly infringes upon the rights of the Sami Indigenous people to herd reindeer.

Thunberg stated that global movements are connected, asserting that "we are fighting against the same system." She believes these movements are inspiring each other, even though local issues vary.

The French government, facing demands for public investment alongside pressure to reduce the national deficit, has indicated that the student movement is losing momentum. However, the continued protests suggest otherwise. The Interior Ministry reported 161,500 participants in demonstrations across France on Tuesday, including 41,500 in Paris. Concerns have been raised about injuries sustained by both protesters and police, with the interior minister suspending the use of a specific type of police stun grenade after a teenager lost a hand.