Police fired tear gas to control crowds in Paris and elsewhere in France on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) as more than a quarter of a million people rallied nationwide to support high school students demanding more education funding, according to government figures.
The Interior Ministry estimated that 2,66,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), including 56,000 in Paris, where small groups of protesters clashed with riot officers at a city square at the end of a largely peaceful march. Questioned in parliament on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) about the protest movement, Mr.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the police response had been proportionate in “almost all cases” and that the protests had at times turned into riots, requiring police intervention. Lecornu denounced “ultra violence” threatening schools. Responding to criticism of police tactics, he pledged that any “accidents” would be investigated and described allegations that the police are racist as a “lie.”
