'The Bastille Has Been Retaken,' Declares Mélenchon as Student-Led Protests Hit New Heights in France
"There's rats in the schools. There's holes in the windows... it's not suitable conditions to study," said one French student.
High school students across France on Thursday once again took to the streets to protest against against the state of the country's schools.
Euronews, citing information from France's Interior Ministry, reported that 71,500 people took part in Thursday's protests.
Students taking part in the nationwide protests have been joined by teachers and parents, as well as members of labor unions who earlier this week marched in solidarity.
The demonstrations began in the suburbs of Paris last month, where students blockaded their schools to protest staffing shortages, dilapidated buildings, and a university application system that has been criticized for keeping students in the dark for months about their acceptance into programs.
In an interview with NPR published Thursday, 19-year-old French student Clara Houssain described the conditions of schools that were leading to the demonstrations.
"There's rats in the schools," said Houssain. "There's holes in the windows... it's not suitable conditions to study. They don't have a French teacher for six months. And then we're asked to pass an exam, and that exam is supposed to be fair. But it's not fair if you haven't had a teacher for six months."
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader the left-wing France Unbowed party, took to social media on Thursday to celebrate the success of the student demonstrations.
"The Bastille has been retaken," he wrote, while posting a video of demonstrators at the July Column in Paris, built to commemorate the Revolution of 1830. "Powerful demonstration by the youth who carry their demands in the most beautiful way possible! Immense pride."
La Bastille est reprise. Démonstration puissante de la jeunesse qui porte ses revendications de la plus belle façon qui soit ! Fierté immense. Rendez-vous mardi 13 octobre à l'appel des syndicats de jeunes et des salariés. https://t.co/5SYLDREZam
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 8, 2026
The Guardian reported on Thursday that Édouard Geffray, the French education minister, met with students and teachers in the city of Reims and pledged to implement "an emergency plan to ensure absent teachers can be replaced on a long-term basis," and to initiate a review of the university application system.
However, high school student union leaders who spoke with The Guardian said they were underwhelmed by the government's promises so far.
Student leader Ryad Rani told the newspaper that the demonstrations "will continue," accusing the government of offering "no concrete measures whatsoever, no response to our demands."
Sabrine Kharbach similarly said that the protests would not stop "for as long as €10 billion hasn’t been put on the table," a reference to the amount of money organizers say is needed for education investment.
A Paris secondary school teacher identified as Cathy said in an interview with Euronews that the student revolt had been brewing for a long time.
"The students have demands that are very close to the ones teachers have been putting forward years," she explained. "The system is degraded and it's because there has been no response for so long, that this is happening."
