Police deploy tear gas as French student protests continue

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 21:31 · Archive

Police used tear gas against students who barricaded a Paris high school as nationwide protests over education funding persisted.

Students barricaded the Hélène Boucher high school in northeastern Paris with garbage bins on Thursday before police moved in with tear gas. The school became a focal point for clashes in the French capital as riot police gathered in side streets and students converged on the building. Many protesters wore surgical masks or hoodies apparently to avoid identification.

The protest was part of wider unrest across France, with at least a dozen demonstrations planned across the country on Thursday in support of the student movement. A rally at Place de la Bastille in Paris saw tear gas and a water cannon deployed against protesters. The Education Ministry reported that 375 schools were fully or partially closed on Thursday, though this represented a decrease compared to Tuesday.

Police have made more than 6,600 arrests since late September, when students—the majority under 18—launched protests demanding increased education funding, according to the Interior Ministry. The demonstrations centre on chronic underfunding of schools, many of which face crumbling facilities and inadequate staffing. Pressure is mounting on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.

How it is being reported

• French police tear gas demonstrators in Paris amid school protestsFrench police Thursday fired tear gas and sprayed demonstrators rallying at the Place de la Bastille in Paris for improved schools in the country.UPI · 8 Oct, 22:37
• Police use tear gas and water cannons on student protestors in ParisPolice fired tear gas and water cannons as demonstrators gathered in Paris to demand more funding and teachers.Al Jazeera · 8 Oct, 22:17
• ‘Nothing will stop us’: French student protests show few signs of endingStudents on Thursday barricaded a Parisian high school with garbage bins before police shot tear gas at them as France’s nationwide protests showed little sign of ending. At least a dozen demonstrations supporting the high school students’ movement were planned across the country while 375 schools were fully or partially closed.France 24 · 8 Oct, 21:22
• Police fire tear gas at barricaded Paris high school as student protests show no sign of endingStudents barricaded a high school in northeastern Paris with rubbish bins before police moved in with tear gas, as France's nationwide protests showed few signs of ending with hundreds of schools disruptedThe Mirror · 8 Oct, 20:51

In this story: Hélène Boucher high school · Paris · Place de la Bastille · France · Emmanuel Macron

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem