French students culminated weeks of protests with a mass rally at Place de la Bastille in Paris on Friday, where left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon declared, “the Bastille has been retaken” .
The demonstration followed escalating tensions in French high schools, with reports of students detained in police custody. Youcef and Aubin, both 16, were among those held for over 10 hours in connection with the movement .
Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced measures to address the unrest, including the deployment of 3,000 substitute teachers to lycées where conditions demand it. The government also pledged to introduce budget amendments to meet some student demands, aiming to “contain” the protests .
