The article examines the wave of student unrest that has swept France since late September 2026, when lycée blockades over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings began in Créteil and spread to more than 1,200 high schools nationwide. It traces the movement's escalation into arson, attacks on staff and daily clashes with police, which have resulted in over 5,000 arrests, and the political battle over the government's claim that far-left groups have instrumentalised the protests six months before the 2027 presidential election. The report assesses the financial toll, with more than €40 million in damage to schools and the cost being shifted onto families and insurers and places the unrest in the context of France's past mass violent protests, from 1986 and 2005 to the Gilets Jaunes and the 2023 riots. It also outlines likely scenarios for the coming weeks and provides operational guidance on schools, demonstrations, transport and business continuity.