Story summary
French high school students are continuing to protest across the country since late September, demanding better educational conditions and an increase in teacher numbers. The protests have led to hundreds of schools being closed or partially shut down; on Thursday alone, 224 high schools were closed, while 151 were reopening after previous closures. Demonstrators cite issues like dilapidated school buildings, extreme classroom temperatures during heatwaves, and insufficient staffing as major grievances.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised to address these concerns but did not offer concrete solutions immediately, causing further frustration among the students. Despite his televised address acknowledging their anger, many students remain unsatisfied, emphasizing that they will continue protesting until real action is taken. The protests have also drawn criticism over police tactics; Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has suspended the use of stun grenades after a teenager lost part of her hand during clashes with authorities.
The ongoing unrest highlights deep-seated issues within France’s education system and its broader public services, exacerbated by financial constraints facing the government. As tensions rise, major demonstrations are planned for key locations like Place de la République and Place de la Bastille, expected to draw large crowds in Paris and beyond on October 17th.
Written for “French Student Protests” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 50 other(s) covering the same event.
Editor's note: This op-ed is part of a series by Eli Steele exploring White guilt in America and the West.
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ed → explore → America
Steele is the director of the newly released documentary essay, "White Guilt."
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Steele → release → essay
One of the most striking images of the riots that I saw sweeping France in recent days was that of a burning school in Nantes.
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I → see → Nantes
The student movement in the streets around the school called itself a demand for education.
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movement → call → education
I was scrolling through my X feed when I saw the image of a burning trash can outside Lycée Nelson Mandela.
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I → scroll → Mandela
The flames spread to the walls of the building and into the glass entrance hall.
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flames → spread → hall
There were still students in their classrooms and, thankfully, every one of them got out.
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one → be → them
When this school opened 12 years ago, its construction cost approximately €64 million, and it was touted as a beacon of hope and possibility for young people.
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it → open → people
Now the school has been shuttered for repairs, and its 1,700 students must learn from home for the time being.
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students → shutter → time
According to the education minister, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since late September, and about 30,000 students won't see the inside of their classrooms for weeks.
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students → accord → weeks
More than 6,500 people have been arrested, most of them minors.
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most → arrest → them
At least 215 students have been hurt, along with 85 teachers and staff.
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students → hurt → teachers
A 16-year-old lost the use of an eye.
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old → lose → eye
In La Ciotat, a physics teacher was sprayed in the face with gasoline and struck by a student from his own lycée while trying to put out a fire.
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teacher → spray → fire
Many media figures and nonprofit organizations like Amnesty International emphasized the students’ demands for better educational conditions and criticized the police response, while also acknowledging violence by some demonstrators.
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figures → emphasize → demonstrators
In the more shocking videos that flowed from the streets of France out into the world, there were teachers who made a point of standing with the students in the streets.
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who → flow → streets
In some cases, parents and union members joined in.
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parents → join → cases
The mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, stood with students who were blockading their own school and argued that violence can sometimes be legitimate, although he also said he opposed violence and called for de-escalation.
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he → stand → escalation
No matter what France does, it loses.
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it → do → what
Every attempt by the 'oppressor system' to restore law and order becomes a new grievance for the oppressed.
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attempt → restore → oppressed
As one watches the footage of students swarming the streets, seemingly with impunity, one has to wonder how the civilization that gave the world Voltaire, Rousseau, Camus and the free public school arrived at a place where schools can burn amid a movement demanding better schools.
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schools → watch → schools
What is happening in the streets of France is the latest iteration of the White guilt formula that has its roots in America.
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that → happen → America
My father, Shelby Steele, has written about White guilt since the 1980s.
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father → write → 1980s
It is not the guilt a person feels for something he did.
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he → feel → something
Almost no Whites alive today owned slaves or ran colonies.
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Whites → own → colonies
How can one feel guilt for sins one did not commit?
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one → feel → sins
The left has condemned all Whites for the sins of the West, from slavery and segregation to colonialism.
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left → condemn → colonialism
It has made whiteness a symbol of historical evil that must be torn down.
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that → make → evil
In doing so, it has created the terror of being called a racist or a colonialist and stripped of moral authority.
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it → do → authority
To escape that terror, many Whites try to buy their way out.
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Whites → escape → way
But only the "oppressed" can grant innocence, and so a bargain is struck.
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bargain → grant → innocence
The "oppressed" sell victimhood for power.
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oppressed → sell → power
The "oppressor" buys innocence with deference, programs, and lower expectations, and when the pressure is high enough, silence in the face of the match.
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pressure → buy → match
Both sides get what they want, except the children, who are mere pawns.
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who → get → children
In the 1960s, people were oppressed.
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people → oppress → 1960s
Today they are taught oppression.
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they → teach → oppression
Most of these students never lived under colonialism.
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Most → live → colonialism
They have been taught that they still do.
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they → teach → ?
In the 1960s, people were oppressed.
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people → oppress → 1960s
Today they are taught oppression.
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they → teach → oppression
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
