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Schools set on fire during protests in France, more than 600 detained

01 October 2026 16:29 (UTC +04:00)

Incidents of violence have increased during protests in France, Reuters reports.

According to Reuters, attackers poured gasoline on a school principal and set fire to at least two schools.

Police said that hundreds of young people surrounded a fire engine that arrived at the Saint-Exupéry high school in Marseille to extinguish a fire. They forced the firefighters to leave the vehicle and then set it on fire.

According to the report, the incidents occurred amid protests over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, long school hours and the poor condition of school buildings.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that 625 people had been detained during the protests. The demonstrations affected 356 schools, while 83 police officers and gendarmes were injured.

The protests initially began in and around Paris and later spread to other parts of the country. Students are demanding improvements in educational conditions and say the demonstrations are not intended as acts of vandalism.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence.