Story perspectives

Police Detain 440 as Nationwide School Protests Turn Violent

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 10:48 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Students Block Schools

High school students blocked hundreds of schools nationwide, sparking clashes with police.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 440 people, mostly minors, were detained.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray reported 76 injuries among students, teachers and staff.
Police used tear gas and batons after protesters set fire to trash cans in Lyon and Lille.
Protesters threw hydrochloric acid at officers in seven incidents.

Summary

Government Freezes Salaries

The government will freeze state employees' base salaries in 2027 to save €2 billion.
Unions demand a 6 percent pay rise and gave the government 48 hours to reverse cuts.
The CGT says about 300,000 workers joined the nationwide strike, versus police’s 30,000 estimate for Paris.
The draft budget adds a €54 billion savings drive, marking the fourth consecutive salary freeze.

History

Historical Context

In May 1968, France experienced massive student and worker uprisings that paralyzed the nation and forced President Charles de Gaulle to negotiate. Over 10 million workers joined the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), striking for 22 days and demanding a 30 percent wage increase from the French government. Today's nationwide school blockades and the 2027 salary-freeze protest echo those 1968 demonstrations, with students confronting police and unions mobilising hundreds of thousands. The 1968 crisis reshaped French labor law, leading to the 1970 Grenelle agreements that institutionalised wage negotiations and set precedents for future fiscal austerity debates.

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Students Block Schools

High school students blocked hundreds of schools nationwide, sparking clashes with police.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 440 people, mostly minors, were detained.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray reported 76 injuries among students, teachers and staff.
Police used tear gas and batons after protesters set fire to trash cans in Lyon and Lille.
Protesters threw hydrochloric acid at officers in seven incidents.

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