Greek graduate students recount youth protests and police tactics in Paris

George and Gerasimos, two postgraduate students at Sciences Po, told one outlet that one outlet French protests are a broad coalition of students, trade unions, ecological groups, left-wing parties and the re-emergent Yellow Vests, dominated by young people from disadvantaged suburbs. Their main grievances focus on steep cuts to public education spending under President Macron’s government and the resulting shortages of teachers.

Demonstrations have filled major squares such as Place de la République, with participants climbing monuments and displaying banners demanding inclusion. Police have intensified their presence, using tear gas and conducting thorough identity checks in metro stations, which protesters say undermines their sense of safety. On campuses, the university director has requested police intervention on multiple occasions and disciplinary actions have been taken against students, including a recent hospitalization after a campus occupation. The movement continues to evolve, with calls for further mobilisations and a pending set of measures from the Ministry of Education.