French students escalate protests as government reform plans stall

The standoff intensified after Tuesday’s demonstrations, where turnout estimates diverged sharply between the interior ministry’s 250,000 and the union’s significantly higher count. Marius Mesnil, co-general secretary of the USL, declared the current balance of power firmly in favor of the protesters. The SNES teachers' union has joined the chorus of criticism, labeling the prime minister’s delay as unacceptable while calling for immediate funding to address systemic building neglect.

Violence has increasingly defined the demonstrations, with 715 police officers, 215 students, and 85 school staff reported injured since mid-September. In Nantes, a school was set ablaze, while barricades and burning trash bins have become fixtures of urban protests. Amidst the chaos, the interior ministry suspended the use of stun grenades following a grave injury to a 15-year-old student. Authorities have launched 18 internal investigations into allegations of police brutality to address the rising friction on the streets.