Social unrest erupted across hundreds of French high schools and dozens of universities Thursday, forcing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to convene an emergency meeting to address the "urban violence."
Corporate media describes the rioters as "French students" or "high school students," while alternative media outlets such as Remix News and Visegrád24 claim the rioters are migrant kids.
"What began as protests demanding better conditions for students and teachers has devolved into violence at dozens of locations, concentrated at schools with large immigrant populations," Remix wrote in a report earlier.
Visegrád 24 wrote on X, "Young second and third-generation migrants have attacked firemen in Marseille, stealing their fire truck and setting it on fire."
"Migrant student youths have set fire to multiple buses and even fire trucks in the French city of Marseille as chaos spreads," Visegrád 24 wrote on X.
Remix continued:
Migrant student youths have set fire to multiple buses and even fire trucks in the French city of Marseille as chaos spreads.
The Marseille transport authority, RTM, said several of its buses "were targeted near high schools in the north and east of Marseille," that "drivers had to leave their vehicles in a hurry and one of them was assaulted."
The regional Marseille government said an "unacceptable line" had been crossed at Victor Hugo High School, where "the principal, the deputy principal, the general secretary and the team leader were assaulted and doused with gasoline," according to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, cited by BFMTV.
France is descending into chaos as student blockades grip the country. Over 650 arrests have been made.
In one instance, rioters torched the Nelson Mandela High School located in the French city of Nantes.
At least 600 people were arrested on just Wednesday alone, according to Agence France-Presse. Student union L'Union Étudiante said 640 high schools and 30 universities were blocked today with more demonstrations planned.
The unrest began in the Paris metro area last week over teacher shortages and investment. Students are demanding smaller classes, renovated buildings, and changes to the system allocating university places.
Yet burning down schools and buses is the solution to the teacher shortage?
There could certainly be other forces at work: the weaponization of youth to cause social unrest, a strategy far-left groups and foreign adversaries can employ in asymmetric warfare.
Bloomberg reported:
Officials in the premier's office told reporters afterward that the far-left France Unbowed party of Jean-Luc Mélenchon was behind the movement, citing an assessment by the intelligence services.
The social unrest coincides with a worsening political environment for the establishment and a fiscal squeeze. French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating has collapsed to just 18%, while Marine Le Pen, France's right-wing National Rally party candidate, is surging in the polls in the second round of the 2027 presidential election because of her anti-open-border stance.
Meanwhile, households are getting financially squeezed as fuel prices spiral higher. Also, the government unveiled plans Thursday to sharply reduce next year's deficit through spending restraint and higher tax revenues.
Then there's the risk premium on French government bonds, which rocketed higher today.
"France has been slowly but steadily breaking," said Mike Riddell, lead manager of Fidelity International's Strategic Bond Fund. "But today feels like the first day that broader financial markets have noticed."