France is currently experiencing a month of mass protests that are putting Macron’s government under pressure. Faced with calls for a new protest this Saturday, 24 October, the government has responded with an increasingly authoritarian crackdown: police repression, curfews, attempts to ban the use of social media, and the suspension of the right to demonstrate, with the sole exception of authorised trade union rallies.
It all began with student blockades at secondary schools in Mayotte and French Guiana, two French overseas territories that share a common colonial history. The movement gained momentum with the blockade of a secondary school in Créteil, in the Paris region. Police violence during this blockade sparked outrage and spread the protests across France.
Whilst the French government plans to increase its military budget by 40 per cent by 2030, students are denouncing the shortage of teaching staff, ageing school buildings in a state of disrepair and excessively heavy timetables. The demonstrations are calling for more funding for education and less for the military.
The student movement began to organise via social media, particularly Snapchat, with numerous videos shared on Instagram and TikTok. It is facing state repression more intense than anything seen in recent years, involving police violence and the use of tear gas and grenades.
During the demonstrations on 17 October, there was a convergence between young people and the ‘Yellow Vests’ movement, escalating the intensity of the protests. The mainstream media have focused on the tactics rather than the message, stating that ‘The demands are legitimate, but violence leads nowhere; we must not set fire to rubbish bins’.
These protests join the wave of demonstrations driven by Generation Z across the globe: Albania, Serbia, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the USA, India, Pakistan… Once again, young people are showing that all is not lost and that we will fight this battle on the streets.
Sources
- RTVE News. (2026, 22 October). Macron announces restrictions on demonstrations in France and convenes a Defence Council. RTVE Noticias
- Muzaffer Unsaldi, Defence Agenda. (2025, 14 July). France boosts its military budget to €413 billion. Defence Agenda
- Testimonies from activists in France.