Do you hear the students sing?

Students stand on the July Column during a high school and college student protest at Place de la Bastille in Paris, Ile-de-France, France, on October 8, 2026. Credit: Gauthier Bedrignans / Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect

Many will associate that line with the classic musical “Les Misérables” set during the French Revolution. But today, it encapsulates the feeling of millions of students across France: miserable – and enraged.

For weeks, students have walked out of classrooms and poured into the streets. What began last month as anger over teacher shortages, crumbling buildings, and a university admissions process students see as unfair has caught like wildfire. Now, protests have reached nearly a third of high schools in the country – and caused headline-making injuries. Read more