Politics · France · 6 hrs ago
French student union leader says school protests should continue during holidays
Marius Mesnil, co-leader of France’s Union syndicale lycéenne, says high school students should continue their protests during the school holidays.
The holidays begin on October 17, and another day of action is planned for Tuesday, October 13.
He says students will keep mobilising if they are not heard and wants 10 billion euros committed.
Mesnil also says the movement could grow next week.
He urged students to avoid violence, while saying he understood why it occurs.
The government has announced plans to recruit 3,000 substitute teachers, including for schools with greater needs.
Mesnil called that a small step and said students have other demands, including scrapping Parcoursup, France’s university admissions system.
Marius Mesnil, co-secretary general of the French student union USL, said protests should continue during the school holidays if students are not heard.
He said a new day of action was planned for Tuesday, 13 October.
Mesnil said the movement would intensify the following week and that students would not stop until 10 billion euros was put on the table.
He urged students to avoid violence where possible, saying it could be used to discredit the movement.
He called the government’s plan to recruit 3,000 substitute teachers “a small gesture” and said students had other demands, including abolishing Parcoursup.
- Who
- Marius Mesnil, co-secretary general of the Union syndicale lycéenne (USL), a French student union.
- What
- He said student protests should continue during the school holidays if students are not heard.
- When
- He made the remarks on 11 October 2026. A new day of action was planned for 13 October.
- Where
- On franceinfo.
- Why
- He said the movement would continue if students were not heard and that they had further demands.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
We will continue on Tuesday, and if we are still not heard, there will be other dates. We will have to continue during the holidays.
As long as we don't have 10 billion on the table, we won't stop.
It's a small gesture.
We ask ourselves why this wasn't done from the start.
Marius Mesnil said on franceinfo that student protests should continue during the school holidays if students were not heard.
A new day of student action was planned.
School holidays were due to begin.
- Student union
- Union syndicale lycéenne (USL)
- Union leader
- Marius Mesnil
- Planned action
- 13 October 2026
- School holidays begin
- 17 October 2026
- Substitute teachers
- Government announced recruitment of 3,000
- Student demand
- 10 billion euros on the table
Sources
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