Presidential hopeful Melenchon joins France school protest march

On October 13, 2026, left-wing presidential hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon joined thousands of French students protesting poor learning conditions in schools across the country. The protests, now entering their fourth week, have seen over 70,000 people take to the streets previously and have featured blockades at many high schools. Recent demonstrations on Tuesday saw an estimated 161,500 participants according to government figures, with unions estimating a turnout of 480,000 nationwide. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also joined the protests in Paris, supporting students demanding better classroom conditions and criticizing what she called the “robbery” of young people’s futures due to underfunded education systems.