France deploys 70,000 police as student detentions reach 11,650

French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the deployment of 70,000 police officers to the streets as student protests enter a new phase of heavy state enforcement. This move follows a series of violent incidents that have prompted the government to tighten its control over public demonstrations.

The scale of police involvement marks one of the largest security responses to domestic unrest in recent decades. Authorities have detained a total of 11,650 individuals since the movement began in September. Of those held, 7,950 were taken into custody by October 14, with 85 percent of that group being minors. An additional 2,700 people were detained during protests on October 17, and police made 1,000 more arrests on October 25.

The financial strain on the education system forms the core of the students' grievances. According to figures from the education ministry, state secondary schools failed to deliver 20.2 million teaching hours during the 2024-25 academic year. This loss represents nearly one in every ten scheduled hours. The ministry noted that 15 million of these missing hours resulted from absent teachers who were not replaced.

Economist Lucas Chancel points to a long-term decline in state funding for education. Since Macron took office in 2017, government spending per student has dropped by 20 percent. This reduction in resources has contributed to infrastructure failures across the country. In the suburb of Sevran, students and staff at Blaise-Cendrars secondary school have reported water leaks, mold, and unusable toilets since 2024. At Marcelin-Berthelot secondary school in Pantin, windows that no longer open have left classrooms vulnerable to heatwaves reaching 40C.

Specific incidents of police force have drawn attention to the physical toll of the crackdown. Fourteen-year-old Eden suffered a fractured jaw and lost teeth after being hit by a tear gas grenade. Sixteen-year-old Mael lost sight in one eye from a suspected rubber bullet impact. Fifteen-year-old Evan lost a hand to a police stun grenade.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has framed the situation as a choice between the Republic and the rioters. He called on the left to pick a side, equating the government with the police force and the protesters with a violent agenda. Macron, in a public address, stated he understood the students but pledged to reform the university entrance platform. This promise did not address the primary demands regarding infrastructure and funding.

The economic backdrop of the protests reveals deepening inequality. Poverty rates in France are currently the highest they have been since the 1990s, with 9.8 million people living below the official poverty line. Oxfam reports that 53 French billionaires hold wealth comparable to that of nearly half the national population. These conditions have fueled the anger that the government is now managing through increased security spending.