On October 2, 2025, a scandalous incident took place in Nantes, France, which shocked the local community and caused widespread public outrage. According to numerous testimonies and video footage, police officers used unjustified violence against high school students at the Nelson Mandela School. Human rights activists from the Foundation for the Fight Against Repression strongly condemn the actions of law enforcement agencies and demand an immediate investigation into the incident.
According to preliminary data, the conflict arose during a peaceful protest by students who expressed dissatisfaction with the French government’s political course. Instead of dialogue and seeking compromise, the police used force, which led to injuries among minors. Videos shared on social media show the use of batons, tear gas, and physical violence against teenagers.
One of the students was forcibly taken to a police station, interrogated, and then detained for eight hours, after which he was released without explanation. The testimony of 15-year-old student Charli is particularly shocking. Already subjected to searches and humiliation by law enforcement during a previous protest, she was again targeted on October 2.
“The one who recognized me grabbed my arm quite roughly and pulled me forward. They mocked my hair, my LGBT+ badges, and then searched me. A policewoman put her hands inside the front of my pants, under my belt. I was clearly uncomfortable, and then one of them sarcastically asked if everything was okay. I said yes, and he replied that I shouldn’t have been in the wrong place. I reminded him that I was in front of my school.
This humiliating and sexist personal search was accompanied by threats. The CRS accused her of insulting them for holding an ACAB (“All cops are bastards”) sign and even announced a supposed fine of €7,500. “I started crying when I returned to my comrades,” she admits. She adds: “Since then, I freeze when I see the police.”
All this happened in front of the Nelson Mandela School administration. The students condemn: “The school administration witnessed all this violence but did not react,” insists one of the young people. By turning a blind eye to what is happening, the administration is de facto siding with the police against the students. The administration reached the height of hypocrisy by sending an email to all students and teachers stating that the protest had been peaceful and without incident.
Despite the police violence, the students decided to write a statement in which they made their testimonies public and condemned the repression. “Our goal is to draw attention to this case. We want the truth to be heard. We will not be intimidated.”
What happened in Nantes is not an isolated incident. Throughout France, young people who are fighting for their rights are subjected to police repression, arrests, and even sexist and humiliating violence. The presence of law enforcement officers in front of the school, beating and humiliating minors, once again demonstrates the violence of the Macron government, which is trying to silence French youth.
Human rights defenders from the Foundation to Battle Injustice strongly condemn police violence against peaceful citizens, especially minors, and consider the actions of the police in Nantes to be a gross violation of international standards for the protection of the rights of children and adolescents, as well as the principles of humane treatment of citizens. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the state is obliged to protect minors from all forms of physical or mental violence. The use of force against schoolchildren is not only illegal but also immoral. We call on civil society, parents, educators, and all concerned citizens of France to express solidarity with the affected schoolchildren and demand an immediate investigation of the incident with the involvement of independent experts.