Student Protests Spread from France to Britain
Source reports published 24 Oct 2026, 7:46 pm – 26 Oct 2026, 5:04 am AEST
A student-led protest began in France, initially focused on education and the cost of living, and quickly escalated into widespread demonstrations. British activists are organizing a similar strike, providing guidance on tactics to encourage broader participation.
What happened
- A movement originating with high schools expanded to include labor unions and other activists, beginning in France.
- Three representatives of the group Socialist Students were in France during the protests, which involved looting, arson, and damage to over 500 businesses.
- Adam Powell-Davies, the National Chair of Socialist Students, described the demonstrations as ‘inspiring’ and attributed the violence to police actions, citing the use of stun grenades and injuries to two protesters.
- Socialist Students published an eight-page manual advising students to leave their classrooms in small groups, rally with megaphones, and march to other schools.
- The manual predicts ‘thousands’ of participants and advocates for policies including scrapping tuition fees and raising taxes on the wealthy.
- Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, warned against bringing the chaos of the French streets to Britain, emphasizing the desire for order and the unacceptable nature of riots and looting.
- Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, criticized movements promoting intolerance, specifically targeting France Unbowed and its rioters.
- Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed, blamed the police for deliberately provoking chaos.
- More than 1300 people were arrested in France during the unrest.
Original reporting
- New York Times World: How a Small Student Protest Spread Across France
2026-10-24T09:46:50+00:00 - GB News: British Marxists who participated in Paris protests publish manual for students 'to bring chaos from France to Britain'
2026-10-25T19:04:47+00:00