French students declare 3 November a black day for universities

Student movement declares 'black day' for universities

The National Union of French Students (UNEF) has issued a call for a new wave of protest actions scheduled for 3 and 5 November. The organisation recommends that students hold general assemblies, block university campuses, and participate in mass street demonstrations.

In an official statement, UNEF noted: «3 листопада оголошуємо чорний день в університетах: приходьте на загальні збори та блокуйте свої виші» (We declare 3 November a black day in universities: come to general assemblies and block your universities).

Context: from lycées to the streets

These measures are a continuation of the activation of the youth protest movement. On 2 November, senior high school students had already resumed blocking lycées in several major cities, including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon.

In addition, French trade unions have declared a nationwide strike for 5 November, calling on student youth to join these actions. Youth associations are demanding the allocation of €10bn for the development of school and higher education.

Timeline and scale of protests

The current protest movement dates back to mid-September, when demonstrations by senior high school students began in the suburbs of Paris. Initially, participants demanded improvements to the condition of schools, but later broader sections of the population, dissatisfied with rising prices, joined them. The protests spread to other regions of the country.

The largest event was the nationwide demonstration on 17 October. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, approximately 550,000 people took part in it. During these protests, law enforcement officers used tear gas, sound grenades, and water cannons.