Bystanders set on fire and hands blown off by grenades as France struggles to suppress violent student riots

The French government is working to meet the demands of student rioters as the dayslong violence continues to roll across the Paris region, resulting in a cavalcade of injuries and arrests.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is promising an increase in the national education budget and collaboration with student leaders to address the perceived insufficiencies in the school system that ostensibly sparked the riots. This includes better staffing, renovations on dilapidated facilities, and reforms to classroom scheduling. But these promises have done little to curb the violent unrest in the streets.

More than 5,000 people, most of whom are reportedly minors, have been arrested since the riots began, and 589 schools have been disrupted by the protests.

Students run out tear gas during a protest against under-resourced schools in Lyon, France, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Videos continue to emerge showing wanton violence and unorthodox attacks against police and civilians.

A 15-year-old male was arrested on Friday for attacking a woman with an impromptu flamethrower after she pleaded for the rioters to cease. Footage shows the woman being pushed against a bus shelter before the masked rioter uses an aerosol can and lighter to shoot flames directly into her face.

“The suspect was arrested and taken into police custody Friday evening,” authorities confirmed.

Police have escalated their use of force in responding to the riots, using rubber bullets, stun grenades, and other crowd control weaponry against the unruly mobs.

On Monday, a teenager’s hand and lower arm were blown off in the town of Lens by a stun grenade thrown by riot police dispersing a crowd. The teenager was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital, and his life is not in danger.

Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry said it is not yet clear whether the student attempted to pick up the grenade or whether it landed on him. The case has been referred to the General Inspectorate of the National Police for further investigation.

Lecornu announced this week that his government has developed a “road map featuring five key initiatives and initial decisions” to address the “issues raised by the academic councils on high school life.” The 2027 budget bill is expected to slash public spending by 1.2 billion euros.

Students burn garbage bins as they protest against under-resourced schools in Paris, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

“The work will focus on core issues: ensuring classes are held, improving facilities in partnership with the regional councils responsible for them, better organizing school days, making Parcoursup more transparent, and giving follow-through to the voices of high school students,” the prime minister said, emphasizing that these collaborations do not reflect a spirit of immunity for those involved in violent acts.

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He continued: “We will not yield an inch to violence: support for assaulted students and staff, as well as for injured police officers and gendarmes. In parallel, we are accelerating the review of the ‘casseur-payeur’ bill to make those responsible for damage bear the cost of their actions.”

The French government has placed the blame for the riots on the left-wing France Unbowed party, accusing it of intentionally stirring up civil unrest and urging protesters onward. Party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has urged his fellow members to protect rioters from police “savagery” and insert themselves between students and authorities.

“What we want is for this country’s young people to emerge from this episode with their heads held high, having won something and learned something, and to remember it when they cast their ballots,” he said last week.

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