Macron Orders 70,000 Police Officers to Streets as Student Detentions Rise

Emmanuel Macron has ordered the deployment of 70,000 police officers across France to manage the ongoing student protests. The government also pledged to ban future demonstrations, citing the need to restore public order after weeks of unrest. This move represents one of the largest police mobilizations for a protest movement in recent decades.

The scale of the state response has led to a high number of detentions. By October 14, authorities had placed 7,950 people in police custody since the protests began in September. Of those, 85 percent were minors. A further 2,700 individuals were taken into custody following the demonstrations on October 17, and police made another 1,000 arrests the following day. The total number of detentions now exceeds 11,000.

The protests were triggered by deteriorating conditions in the French education system. In Acoua, on the island of Mayotte, parents and staff blockaded a secondary school on August 31. The facility was built for 900 students but houses 2,300 in cramped classrooms. The site also suffered from water supply failures and unsanitary toilet conditions. Similar complaints have been raised in Parisian suburbs, including issues with mold, leaking roofs, and unusable fixtures.

Data from the education ministry indicates that 20.2 million teaching hours were not delivered in state secondary schools during the 2024-25 academic year. This figure excludes Mayotte. Nearly one in every ten scheduled hours was lost, primarily because absent teachers were not replaced. French economist Lucas Chancel noted that government spending per student has declined by 20 percent since 2017. Poverty rates in France are currently at their highest levels since the 1990s, with 9.8 million people living under the official poverty line.

Injuries to young protesters have drawn attention to the methods used by law enforcement. Fourteen-year-old Eden suffered a fractured jaw and lost teeth after being hit by a tear gas grenade. Sixteen-year-old Mael lost vision in one eye from a suspected rubber bullet impact. Fifteen-year-old Evan had a hand blown off by a police stun grenade. These incidents have fueled debate over the proportionality of the police response.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told the left to choose a side, framing the conflict as a choice between supporting the police or the rioters. Macron met with 20 students on Friday and promised to reform the university entrance platform. However, he did not address the students’ primary demands regarding infrastructure and funding. In a public address, Macron stated he understood the students but expressed stronger support for the police officers.

The government’s strategy relies on maintaining strict security measures while waiting for the movement to weaken. Far-right politicians have capitalized on the chaos, focusing on the origins of those filmed committing violent acts. Some have called for broader powers to strip citizens of their nationality. The current administration positions itself as a defense against both the protest movement and the far right, offering voters a choice between those who caused the anger and those who might exploit it.