Student protests spread in the Paris region on Thursday (October 1), with police using tear gas in the suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye to disperse protesters.

In the northern suburb of Aubervilliers, students burnt outdoor bins and gathered to block the entrance of their high schools.

The demonstrations and blockades, which began last week, have become a political flashpoint at a sensitive moment for the government, which announced a series of deeply unpopular spending cuts in its 2027 budget on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office held a crisis meeting on Thursday afternoon on the protests, which have left dozens of people injured.

Hundreds have also been arrested, most of them teenagers, officials have said.

Students have accused the police of using heavy-handed tactics including the use of teargas.

The government has criticised the violence that has broken out during some of the protests but has said difficulties in high schools should be acknowledged and addressed.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that, in some places, troublemakers were moving from school to school to incite violence.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray called for schools to hold classes remotely if protesters were blocking their premises.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

AUBERVILLIERS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 1, 2026) (REUTERS – Access All)

1. VARIOUS OF BURNING RUBBISH AND BINS IN FRONT OF LE CORBUSIER HIGH SCHOOL

2. POLICE AT END OF STREET

3. FIRE BURNING, PROTESTERS BEHIND

4. LE CORBUSIER HIGH SCHOOL

5. RIOT POLICE WALKING ON STREET AND BANGING BATONS ON SHIELDS / FIRES BURNING

6. VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE WALKING ON STREET

7. PROTESTERS OUTSIDE ALEMBERT HIGH SCHOOL

8. PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS, PROTESTERS AT SCHOOL ENTRANCE BEHIND

9. SIGN FOR ALEMBERT HIGH SCHOOL

10. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS OUTSIDE SCHOOL

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 1, 2026) (AGENCY POOL – Access All)

11. FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, SEBASTIEN LECORNU, ENTERING ROOM, WITH INTERIOR MINISTER, LAURENT NUNEZ, FOR A MEETING WITH MINISTERS AND POLICE CHIEFS OF DIFFERENT TOWNS ON SCHOOL PROTESTS

12. LECORNU SPEAKING

13. JUSTICE MINISTER, GERALD DARMANIN, STANDING

14. DARMANIN GREETING OFFICIALS

15. DARMANIN ON HIS PHONE

16. PEOPLE IN MEETING ROOM

SAINT-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE, FRANCE (OCTOBER 1, 2026) (ALEXANDER AUCOTT- Access All)

17. VARIOUS OF TEAR GAS SPREADING, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RUNNING ON STREET OUTSIDE THEIR SCHOOL

18. VARIOUS OF STUDENTS ON STREET

19. STUDENTS ON STREET / BROKEN GLASS ON OUTDOOR LIBRARY

20. BIN BURNING

21. POLICE ON HORSEBACK PASSING BEHIND CARS