WASHINGTON (October 8, 2026) – France is facing its biggest student protest in decades. These protests, which started as a demonstration in support of teachers going on strike at a high school north of Paris, have become a national crisis.
Hundreds of schools have been forced to close, and more than 6,000 people have been taken into police custody. Damage to schools in the greater Paris region is estimated at 7 million euros ($7.84 million). Currently, the protests have spread to more than 40 French cities.
For more analysis on these developments please consider Harvey Feigenbaum, professor of political science and international affairs, is an expert on the political economy of Western Europe and a specialist on France. Feigenbaum teaches courses on the politics of Western Europe, the political economy of advanced industrialized states, theories of comparative politics, and politics and culture. He is also an expert on U.K. and Germany politics.
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