Photos: French students protest, public workers strike before budget cuts | Protests News
French Students and Public Sector Workers Protest Budget Cuts Ahead of Presidential Election
Published on September 29, 2026
French high school students have blockaded dozens of schools in response to proposed budget cuts, as public sector workers including teachers have launched strikes in advance of next year’s presidential election.
The demonstrations occurred on Tuesday, just two days before the government is expected to present its draft budget for 2027. With the election looming in seven months, recent opinion polls indicate widespread dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron and his center-right administration.
Protest activities among students have escalated in recent days, fueled by concerns over overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teaching staff. The Ministry of National Education reported that over 330 high schools, nearly 10 percent of the country’s total, were impacted.
On Tuesday, police arrested 40 individuals, and at least 10 others, including students and staff, sustained injuries. In one high school located in the suburbs of Paris, teachers formed a line to protect protesting students from police intervention.
In Lille, in northern France, masked students gathered at the Lycee Cesar Baggio, setting fire to trash bins, according to reports from the AFP news agency. Reports of vandalism included damage to bus shelters and advertising billboards, and projectiles such as bottles and paving stones were thrown at police, who responded with tear gas.
In Nantes, protesters barricaded the entrance to the Lycee Gabriel Guist’hau with overturned bins. Meanwhile, in Paris, a tense standoff unfolded between approximately 30 students and police at the Arago school. Similar clashes were noted in other cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lyon.
Public Sector Workers Join the Protests
Public workers, notably professional firefighters, have also participated in protests, citing resource inadequacies revealed by this summer’s severe wildfires.
The Education Ministry indicated that approximately 11 percent of teachers and school staff participated in the strike. French teachers generally earn less than their counterparts in many European countries. Participation among other civil servants was reported to be below 10 percent, with an even lower turnout from hospital workers due to the financial impact of a day’s lost wages.
Civil aviation authorities have warned of potential flight disruptions at several airports as a result of the strikes.
Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT union, has given the government a 48-hour ultimatum to retract the proposed budget cuts. Binet criticized the government for what she termed the fourth consecutive annual freeze on state employees’ base salaries, part of a broader 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) savings initiative and a 54 billion euro ($61 billion) austerity program.
