For ung til å stemme. Gammel nok til å bli arrestert.

Overview

The video examines student-led protests in France in 2026. It asks how young people without voting rights managed to pressure the government, and whether similar demonstrations could happen in Norway.

How the protests began

The protests began near Paris after a teachers’ strike in September. Students joined in, and the campaign spread to more than 2,000 schools. They called for more teachers and substitutes, better-maintained school buildings, and fairer access to higher education.

The protests took place amid plans to cut more than 3,000 teaching positions. The government said the cuts were needed to save money because of France’s high debt.

The political context

The video explains that France’s budget was pushed through using Article 49.3. This procedure allows the government to adopt a budget without a parliamentary vote unless lawmakers bring down the government. The prime minister had pledged not to use it, but did so repeatedly on the budget.

The report places the protests within a long French tradition of political action in the streets, from the Revolution to more recent movements.

Demonstrations and the police response

Most demonstrations were peaceful, though some involved vandalism, looting, and fires. The report describes a forceful police response, including tear gas and physical force. It cites:

• More than 200 injured students
• A 16-year-old who lost sight in one eye
• About 700 injured police officers
• Roughly 7,000 people taken into custody, nearly nine in ten of them reportedly under 18

After a large demonstration on October 17, a historic town hall in Limoges burned down. The two people charged in connection with the fire were adults, not students.

Coverage, misinformation, and protest restrictions

The video highlights how coverage of the protests could obscure their largely peaceful character. An online claim blaming immigrants for the town-hall fire had no evidence behind it. A fact-checking group noted that the claim appeared in English hours before it appeared in French, suggesting it may have originated outside France.

The report distinguishes the right to peaceful protest from violence and property damage. It also criticizes curfews and protest bans—including restrictions aimed specifically at young people—as potentially unfair collective punishment.

Government promises and the role of elections

After students met with the president and then the prime minister, the government promised to:

• Drop the planned cuts
• Provide more teachers the following school year
• Limit first-year upper-secondary classes to 28 students
• Introduce a new higher-education admissions system

The report questions whether these promises will be kept. Some measures are not due until 2028, while a presidential election is scheduled for 2027—and the students who led the protests cannot vote. The video argues that protests can make young people heard, but elections ultimately determine who governs and whether promises endure.

Youth movements and Norway

The video connects the French protests with youth movements elsewhere in Europe, where young people have protested over issues including education and housing. It suggests that common concerns include uncertainty about the future, driven by war, climate change, and artificial intelligence, as well as distrust of politicians.

Norway has a different economic situation, but the report says larger demonstrations are still possible. It points to earlier climate strikes and asks what it would take for Norwegian students to protest for better schools.

Presenters and contributors

• Tobias Rysstad — presenter/reporter
• Nora Céline Warholm Essahli — sociologist and contributor
• Johannes Bergh — research leader and contributor