French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
French firefighters hold the country's flag during a demonstration in Paris, calling for more resources and funding. [Tom Nicholson/Reuters]
Published On 29 Sep 2026

French high school students have blockaded dozens of schools and public sector workers have gone on strike, protesting planned budget cuts before next year’s presidential election.

Tuesday’s action comes seven months before the vote and just two days before the government is due to unveil its draft 2027 budget, with opinion polls consistently reflecting deep dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron and his centre-right government.

Student protests have gathered pace in recent days over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. The country’s Ministry of National Education said more than 330 high schools – just under one in 10 – were affected.

There were 40 arrests on Tuesday and 10 people – students and staff – were wounded. In one lycee in the Paris suburbs, teachers formed a line around protesting students in a bid to protect them from the police.

Masked pupils gathered outside the Lycee Cesar Baggio in Lille, in northern France, setting bins on fire, according to the AFP news agency.

In the western city of Nantes, teens piled up dozens of bins to prevent entrance to the Lycee Gabriel Guist’hau, while in Paris there was an uneasy standoff between 30 students and a contingent of police at the Arago school.

Similar clashes were also reported in cities including Marseille in the south, Bordeaux in the west and Lyon in the southeast.

Public workers join protests

Professional firefighters, who say this summer’s huge wildfires exposed dangerous resource gaps, joined marches in several cities.

About 11 percent of teachers and school staff joined the strike, the Education Ministry said, in a system where French teachers are paid less on average than many European peers.

Participation among other civil servants was below one in 10, with even fewer hospital staff stopping work, as the loss of a day’s pay weighed on turnout.

Civil aviation authorities warned of flight disruption at some airports.

CGT union leader Sophie Binet gave the government 48 hours to withdraw planned cuts, denouncing a fourth consecutive annual freeze in state employees’ base pay as part of a 2-billion-euro ($2.2bn) savings push and a wider 54-billion-euro ($61bn) austerity drive.

French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
A student walks past a burning bicycle next to the Baggio Lycee, blocked in protest of the government's release of next year's draft budget, in Lille, France. [Jean-Francois Badias/AP Photo]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
A protester holds a placard which reads "They want the Bac [French Baccalaureate] and we send them the BAC [French police and anti-crime brigade]", during the demonstration. [Tom Nicholson/Reuters]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
French firefighters hold a French flag during a demonstration calling for more resources and funding. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Students tear down a traffic light next to the Baggio Lycee, blocked in protest of the government's release of next year's draft budget, in Lille, France. [Jean-Francois Badias/AP Photo]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Firefighters protest against the government's release of next year's draft budget, in Paris. [Teresa Suarez/AP Photo]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, gave the government 48 hours to reverse planned spending cuts in its draft budget before deciding on further strike action. [Teresa Suarez/AP Photo]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Students hold a board reading, "No faschism at home", during a protest against the government's release of next year's draft budget, in Paris. [Teresa Suarez/AP Photo]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
The government proposes freezing the base salaries of state employees in 2027 in a bid to save $2.2bn in spending - the fourth consecutive annual freeze and the eighth during Macron's presidency, trade unions say. [Tom Nicholson/Reuters]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Hard-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon accused the government of a steady dismantling of public services as he addressed protesters in Paris, urging his supporters to mobilise against the government's draft budget plans. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]
French students,public workers protest Macron’s planned budget cuts
Protesters hold CGT labour union flags and red flares during a demonstration by public sector workers to demand better working conditions and more resources, as part of a day of strikes and protests by public sector workers, including firefighters, in Paris. [Tom Nicholson/Reuters]