France deploys 70,000 officers for national school protest

France deployed more than 70,000 police officers on Saturday to guard nationwide marches over the state of public schools.

The government estimated that at least 400,000 people took to the streets. Trade unions counted double that number. In Paris alone, officials said at least 110,000 marchers moved along the eastern edge of the city.

The protests began in mid-September when students aged 15 to 18 complained about staff shortages, leaking roofs, and a lack of chairs in overcrowded classrooms. The movement has since grown to include teachers, parents, and trade unions. Marchers carried banners that read "Oppression breeds rebellion" and "The right to protest."

Nadège, a 43-year-old communications worker, said she had been teargassed at a peaceful demonstration the previous weekend. "I'm out again peacefully today to support everyone who is brave enough to demonstrate. It does take courage. People are afraid now," she said. "In France, it's our legal right to protest in the street and I'm here to defend that."

A 21-year-old student from a Paris science faculty said the group was living in an "authoritarian regime" trying to stop the democratic right to protest. Jérôme Rodrigues, a figure from the 2018 yellow vests movement, said the government was afraid and pushing demonstrators away from places of power. "It's not police shields that will provide an answer to French people struggling and unable to make ends meet," he said.

Most of the day in Paris remained relaxed, with brass bands playing and children in the crowd. Tensions rose near the end of the route at Porte de Vincennes. Groups of masked men threw glass bottles and stones at police. Officers responded with teargas, water cannon, and stun grenades. Similar clashes occurred in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, Toulouse, and Marseille.

Interior minister Laurent Nunez reported 135 arrests across France. Police confiscated metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, a katana sword, and airsoft weapons. The government had feared a repeat of the previous Saturday, when at least 2,700 people were arrested and hundreds of shops were looted.

In Orléans, thousands marched against a congress held by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. The crowd shouted "Macron, resign. Le Pen in prison." Police investigations are under way after some children and protesters were injured by explosive police weaponry.