Youth Anger Ignites France: 90% of Universities Blocked

France is once again witnessing significant youth mobilization, with student protests escalating and impacting universities across the nation. The Union Étudiante, a student union, reported on October 13 that an overwhelming 90% of French universities were either blocked or closed due to the ongoing demonstrations. While the Ministry of Higher Education offered a more conservative estimate of disruptions affecting 35% of institutions, the scale of the protests remains undeniably substantial. Origins and Participants of the Protests The current wave of student unrest is a continuation of school-level protests that began on September 17 at the Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil. These initial demonstrations have since spread to other educational establishments, particularly in Paris's disadvantaged suburbs, which are home to a considerable population of immigrant families. While television reports highlight the presence of many young people from immigrant backgrounds among the protesters, definitively identifying the nationality and origin of all participants based on appearance is impossible, and official statistics on this matter are unavailable. The initial spark for the high school mobilization came from the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, an organization representing the interests of high school students. Subsequently, the Union Étudiante, along with teaching unions and parents, joined the protests.