Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined student protesters in France on Tuesday after weeks of violent confrontations with police, thousands of arrests and widespread school closures over demands for education reform.The 23-year-old Swedish activist appeared outside a high school in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, where students were demanding more teachers, better facilities and shorter school days, Reuters reported.More than 6,800 people have been detained since the protests began in September, according to French authorities.Demonstrators have set fires, erected barricades and confronted riot police in cities across France, although many protests have remained peaceful.FRANCE EXPLODES AGAIN AS STUDENTS RIOT OVER EDUCATIONClimate activist Greta Thunberg speaks with students outside a high school in Saint-Denis, near Paris, France, on Oct.
13, 2026, as nationwide protests over education reform continue.(JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)Thunberg, who rose to prominence organizing school strikes over climate change, criticized the French government's response to the demonstrations."We are inspired by the young people who are demanding their basic rights," Thunberg told reporters, according to Reuters.
She also described the police response as "extremely violent."About 161,500 people marched across France on Tuesday, including 41,500 in Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures.The Education Ministry said 214 schools were closed.FRENCH SCHOOL RIOTS DEEPEN AS EXPERTS POINT TO FAR-LEFT ALLIANCE FUELING ‘BROADER CONFRONTATION’French high school students gather outside the Lycee Voltaire high school as part of nationwide protests to demand the hiring of substitute teachers, increased resources and better learning conditions, in Paris, as more than 400 schools remain closed following days of student protests that have escalated into violence in some places, France, October 2, 2026.
(Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)President Donald Trump weighed in on the turmoil last...