Greta Thunberg Joins French Student Protests Against School Disinvestment

Thunberg joined thousands of students, teachers, and union members who have shuttered hundreds of schools across France. The protesters are demanding a €10 billion increase in education funding, arguing that President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed budget—which offers only a marginal hike—effectively acts as a cut once adjusted for inflation. Students cite dilapidated buildings, overcrowded classrooms, and chronic teacher shortages as the primary drivers of their mobilization.

The demonstrations have been marked by intense confrontations. Police have deployed stun grenades and tear gas to break up blockades, resulting in severe injuries, including one teenager who lost a hand and another who lost the use of an eye. Authorities are currently investigating at least 24 reports of police brutality. While the government has moved to prosecute roughly 1,500 participants, Thunberg described the official response as "extremely violent" and out of touch with the legitimate grievances of the youth.

"Our future is being robbed away from us," Thunberg told reporters, urging a coalition between student, labor, and migrant rights movements to confront what she termed a shared enemy. Supported by the France Unbowed party, the movement shows no signs of slowing, with students continuing to blockade school entrances from Paris to Marseille.