Student protests that have gripped France for days continued this Wednesday, with incidents, clashes with police and arrests reported in several cities.

In Lyon, protesters set fire to rubbish bins, while police took up positions in the areas where the gatherings were held.

According to local media, 14 people were arrested in Lyon. Meanwhile, in Lille, protesters also set fire to rubbish bins, while police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Television footage also showed an increased police presence in Lyon, while students gathered near educational institutions in Lille and Saint-Denis, north of Paris.

The toll from the protests in recent days has also worsened because of the number of people injured. French Education Minister Edouard Geoffrey said that 76 people, including students and education staff, had been injured since the protests began.

“Since the start of these protests, 76 people have been injured, both students and staff,” Geoffrey told RTL radio. The protests and blockades began last week and coincided with a broader public-sector strike on Tuesday. They have become one of the main sources of political tension in France at a time when the government is facing increased pressure over public finances.

On Thursday, the government is expected to present France’s budget for 2027, which is expected to include measures to cut spending and reduce pressure on public finances.

Politicians from the radical left-wing party France Unbowed have also taken part in the student protests. Representatives of other political camps have criticized the party, accusing it of contributing through its rhetoric to fuelling students’ anger. Saint-Denis Mayor Bali Bagayoko, who is a member of France Unbowed, is also at the center of the controversy. He has said that his positions have been misinterpreted.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that around 440 people were arrested during Tuesday’s protests, most of them minors. According to him, seven incidents were also recorded during the unrest in which protesters threw hydrochloric acid at members of the security forces. The protests are linked to concerns among students and pupils about conditions in the education system. They complain about overcrowded classrooms and a lack of teachers.

According to the OECD, France’s public spending on primary and secondary education is at an average level compared with the organization’s member countries. It increased between 2015 and 2022, although its share of the budget declined slightly. The French government has described the protests as irresponsible, but has acknowledged that the problems facing secondary schools must be recognized and addressed.

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Protesters from the “Cockroach Janta Party” movement, backed by thousands of students, took over the heart of New Delhi on Wednesday, deepening the political crisis facing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.

What began as an ironic wave on online platforms has turned into one of the most serious battles for Modi’s government since his 2024 election victory. Gathered in the symbolic Jantar Mantar square, activists are demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and have secured open support from the opposition front.

Rahul Gandhi, the leading figure of the Congress party, called on the executive to apologize for the way security forces handled the crowd, as opposition lawmakers staged protest actions in front of the prime minister’s residence and within the walls of Parliament. Monday’s clashes between police and demonstrators marked the fiercest unrest in the capital in five years, with state forces deploying tear gas and using physical force, while some participants responded with stones.

Human rights organization Amnesty International denounced a disproportionate use of force by the authorities, although India’s Supreme Court declined to hear a petition to investigate police brutality. At the root of this wave of anger lies a series of violations in the education sector, particularly the revelation that the national medical entrance exam paper had circulated prematurely, forcing more than two million high school graduates to face the need for a retest. Tensions were further inflamed by heated discussions regarding the automated grading process for the state board exams.

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