Students blockaded dozens of high schools and universities across France on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) to maintain pressure on the government over education reforms as trade unions prepared for a nationwide strike.
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unions → blockade → strike
After returning from a two-week autumn break, some students resumed their protest campaign on Monday (November 2), calling on the authorities to renovate dilapidated schools, reduce class sizes and create more university places.
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students → return → places
Authorities said on Tuesday (November 3) that 48 out of France's 3,700 high schools were blocked amid tight security, including in Paris, Rennes and Lyon.
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48 → say → Paris
The USL student union said 500 schools were blocked.
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schools → say → ?
Fifty-one higher education institutions out of 184 were also disrupted, officials said.
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officials → disrupt → 184
The USL union denounced what it called heavy-handed tactics, with "young people pinned against walls and riot police units deployed" outside schools.
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units → denounce → schools
A union representative said the authorities appeared to want to blunt a new day of blockades when trade unions have called a nationwide strike.
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unions → say → strike
"We don't even have the right to vote, we can't do anything, so this is our only way of expressing ourselves," a high school student in northwestern Paris said on condition of anonymity.
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student → have → anonymity
Thousands of students also marched in Paris and several other cities.
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Thousands → march → Paris
'Nothing else worked'
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Nothing → work → ?
Education Minister Edouard Geffray spoke out against the action, saying students needed to study and prepare for exams.
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students → speak → exams
"Preventing them from entering their school deprives them of a fundamental right: the right to an education," he said on X, adding that some staff members had "once again been subjected to violence".
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members → prevent → violence
In the northwestern city of Rennes, around 30 students blocked the Brequigny High School, one of the country's largest secondary schools.
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students → block → schools
Tensions quickly flared between students and the school administration.
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Tensions → flare → students
"You are not the majority," a staff member protested.
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member → protest → ?
"If we're doing this, it's because everything we've tried before hasn't worked," a student replied.
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student → do → this
At a school in the southwestern city of Toulouse, students brandished placards, one saying "Angry, not far right".
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one → brandish → placards
"Young people are sticking it to the education system," read another, in a nod to the lyrics of a popular protest song against the far right.
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another → stick → right
The school protests have fuelled a nationwide movement against soaring prices and inadequate public services, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets over the past three weekends.
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which → fuel → weekends
On October 17, it also led to some of the worst unrest seen in France in years.
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it → lead → years
The school movement has inspired students in other European countries, including Italy and Spain, where the French word "blocus" (blockade) has become a hashtag.
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word → inspire → Italy
Last week, the French government unveiled measures aimed at addressing some of the students' demands, including the replacement of the university admissions platform, which has been criticised for a lack of transparency.
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which → unveil → transparency
Students say the proposals do not go far enough, demanding 10 billion euros in investment.
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proposals → say → investment
Three minors arrested
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minors → arrest → ?
With the European Union's second-largest economy on the brink of recession and under pressure to reduce its debt, authorities have little room to quell student anger with additional spending.
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authorities → reduce → spending
Student union L'Union Etudiante said one in two was affected on Tuesday (November 3) and that over 50 campuses had been blockaded.
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campuses → say → Tuesday
At the University of Lille in the north, around 40 students used bicycles and trash bins to block the campus, leading to the cancellation of classes.
"There's a massive national mobilisation under way," said Gauthier Capiez, a third-year political science student.
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Capiez → use → way
"If next year we manage to get rid of Parcoursup, among other things, then it will all have been worth it," he said, referring to the university admissions platform.
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he → manage → platform
Some schools have been damaged since the student movement emerged in September.
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movement → damage → September
On Tuesday (November 3), authorities said three minors had been arrested after a school in the western city of Nantes was set on fire in October, on the margins of the protests.
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school → say → protests
The Aporia
