High school students across France have once again held protests against the state of the country’s schools, clashing with the police who deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds.

The protests took place on Thursday in the cities of Paris, Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Toulon and Marseille, with the participants holding signs reading, “Too young to be listened ​to, but old enough to be tear-gassed,” “More money for repression than for our education”, and “Who protects us from the police?”

In Paris, the students gathered at the Place de la Bastille, where policemen fired tear gas and a water cannon at the demonstrators, some of whom responded by hurling bottles, stones and projectiles at the heavily armored squads.

About 71,500 people took part at Thursday’s nationwide protests, including 24,500 in Paris, the French Interior Ministry said, adding that the police arrested more than 500 people.

In an X post, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing France Unbowed party, praised the student rallies.

“The Bastille has been retaken,” he said. “Powerful demonstration by the youth who carry their demands in the most beautiful way possible! Immense pride. See you on Tuesday, October 13, at the call of the youth unions and workers."

Thursday's demonstrations were part of the student-led movement which began on September 17 in the suburbs of Paris, before gradually developing into a broader campaign against overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and decaying facilities. Since then, French police have made more than 6,600 arrests.

Up to 450,000 march across France as school protests intensify

As many as 450,000 people have taken part in nationwide protests across France, according to student and youth organizations, in the biggest day yet of a growing movement over deteriorating school conditions.

Speaking to TF1 television on Thursday night, France’s Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed to about 100 high schools identified as having particularly acute teacher shortages “between tomorrow and Tuesday”.

Geffray added that he would authorize the recruitment of “several hundred” new teachers.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that the government would propose amendments to the 2027 budget to “translate some of the students’ demands into concrete measures, particularly regarding teacher replacements”.

However, Ryad Rani, the president of one high school students’ union, said the protests “will continue” as there has been “no concrete measures whatsoever, no response to our demands”.

Sabrine Kharbach, from another students’ association, said the rallies would last “for as long as €10bn hasn’t been put on the table,” the amount needed to be invested in France’s schools.

Meanwhile, Rights groups have denounced security forces for using excessive force against protesters.

Several demonstrators have been injured, including a teenager who lost a hand and another whose jaw was shattered by an exploding stun grenade. The grenades have since been banned at demonstrations.

Authorities, meanwhile, say police officers and teachers have also been injured, accusing students of engaging in violence.

According to Lecornu, 215 students, 89 teachers and 761 police officers and gendarmes have been injured since September 28. A total of 6,629 people have also been detained.

Most of those detained are minors, the Interior Ministry said.

Authorities reported that 375 schools were fully or partially closed on Thursday, while around two dozen had been set on fire or destroyed.