Greta Thunberg backs French high school protests over run-down schools

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Greta Thunberg on Tuesday threw her high-profile support behind high school protesters rattling the government in France, saying “the whole world is watching with awe."

She joined and applauded hundreds of teenagers who demonstrated boisterously outside a school north of Paris under the watchful eye of police.

The surprise appearance by the 23-year-old climate activist, along with another day of marches in the French capital and elsewhere, suggested that high school students' push for more resources for run-down schools is far from running out of steam. That's despite mass arrests, mounting injuries and fatigue from more than three weeks of blockading schools and demonstrating.

Police used clouds of tear gas, water cannons and repeated charges to disperse protesters Tuesday when violence erupted on the fringes of the Paris marches. The Interior Ministry estimated that 161,500 people marched in demonstrations across the country, including 41,500 in Paris.

Outside the Paul Éluard high school in Saint-Denis, where staff and students have long complained of dilapidated facilities and even rat infestations, Thunberg said French pupils are “fighting back, reclaiming their future that has been taken away from them" and are inspiring young people in other countries.

“The international community sees these students and they’re leading by example," she said to The Associated Press. "This generation is one that has been growing up with a sense of hopelessness for the future, when we can see our future and our rights taken from us,” she said.

“Of course people are going to fight back," she added.

The students' grievances have resonated in neighboring Belgium, where some schools closed in Liege. Several Italian cities have also seen student protests, though on a smaller scale than in France and focused on broader complaints. In Germany, high school students are calling for an international youth strike on Nov. 20, in solidarity with the French protests.

Some French pupils say they see parallels between their protests and the “Cockroach” youth movement challenging the government in India and youth-led demonstrations a year ago in Morocco that also demanded better schools and hospitals.

Thunberg also cited protests in Spain, gripped by demonstrations for affordable housing, and in Latin America.

“These movements are connected in one way or another. We are fighting against the same system," she said. "Even though these local issues are different and may vary, we have the same enemy and I definitely think that these movements are inspiring each other.”

The government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron, whose term ends in May, argues that the movement in France is losing momentum. The Education Ministry said fewer schools were closed Tuesday although the number of staff injured since protests began in mid-September has risen to 147. The government says hundreds of police officers have also been wounded but has not detailed the severity of their injuries.

Among protesters, particularly gruesome wounds suffered by some teenagers have been blamed on police riot-control weapons. The interior minister suspended the use of a type of police stun grenade against the young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand.

Pupils and university students who blockaded the Maurice Ravel high school in eastern Paris on Tuesday said they feel that their complaints are being heard by supporters in France and abroad but not by the government. Some vowed to keep protesting until that changes.

“We’re certainly making noise and getting people talking, but unfortunately, our message isn’t reaching the people who should be making the changes,” said Ryan, a 20-year-old student who said he didn't want to give his surname for fear of possible repercussions.

"That’s why the movement needs to keep going and persist.”

Corbet reported from Paris.

A student holds a board reading 'Shame' as she marches to protest against under-resourced schools in Rennes, France, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

Students chant during a march to protest against under-resourced schools in Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Police run towards students during a march to protest against under-resourced schools in Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Activist Greta Thunberg atends a gathering in front of the Paul Eluard high school during a protest against under-resourced schools in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)

Activist Greta Thunberg answers journalist's questions as she attends a gathering in front of the Paul Eluard high school during a protest against under-resourced schools in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)

Activist Greta Thunberg answers journalist's questions as she attends a gathering in front of the Paul Eluard high school during a protest against under-resourced schools in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)

Activist Greta Thunberg poses as she attends a gathering in front of Paul Eluard high school during a protest against under-resourced schools in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)

NEW YORK (AP) — The first big batch of summertime profit reports from U.S. companies is making waves on Wall Street after topping analysts' expectations, but many are canceling each other out. That's leaving stock indexes relatively static and near their records on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% and edged further from its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 142 points, or 0.3%, as of noon Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower.

Those modest moves, though, masked some big swings happening underneath the market's surface.

Goldman Sachs, for example, jumped more than 4% at the start of trading after the bank delivered a profit for July through September that blew past analysts’ expectations. But its stock quickly erased all of it and dipped to a modest loss before later returning to a gain of 0.6%.

Goldman Sachs benefited in the summer from strong growth for its business that offers loans to clients for trading stocks, among other things, even as CEO David Solomon said it's dealing with a “complicated operating environment” created by lots of uncertainty.

Expectations are high for profits across all kinds of U.S. companies. Analysts are forecasting overall growth of nearly 30% for companies in the S&P 500 during the summer from a year earlier, according to FactSet. If they're correct, it would be the third straight quarter of growth better than 25%.

And companies need to hit those high numbers to justify the record-setting runs for their stock prices despite the many worries on Wall Street about high inflation, increased pressure from the bond market and the war with Iran.

UnitedHealth Group's stock swung sharply even though it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The healthcare company also raised its forecast for profit over the full year of 2026.

After rallying as much as 5.6% shortly after trading began, it erased all of it and fell to a modest loss before returning to a gain of 1.1%.

More firmly in the losing column was Wells Fargo, whose stock fell 1.8% after the bank reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though its profit topped Wall Street's estimates. CEO Charlie Scharf cited weaker revenue from its venture capital investments, among other things.

But Scharf also gave a potentially encouraging signal about the broader economy and future profits for companies across industries. He said that “our data shows that our consumer and business customers are doing well” despite uncertainty about the economy and recent surveys showing how discouraged Americans have become about their finances.

At the country’s biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon highlighted “elevated asset prices” as one of the potential risks for the economy. He also mentioned high inflation, rising interest rates and “geopolitical conditions.”

“These forces may be manageable, but we remain prepared for a wide range of outcomes,” he said.

JPMorgan Chase's stock rose 0.3% after flipping between gains and losses in the morning. It reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it also gave a forecast for net interest income in the current quarter that topped Wall Street’s estimate.

Outside of earnings reports, some of the sharpest action was for stocks in the computer chip industry.

Worries have been high for a while about whether chip stock prices have shot too high in the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, and concerns climbed further following reports that China’s memory chipmaker CXMT is making advances that could challenge industry heavyweights like Micron Technology of Boise, Idaho and Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix of South Korea.

Micron fell 4.9% and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. South Korea's Kospi stock index, meanwhile, tumbled 5.5%.

Bumble, meanwhile, leaped 56.3% after the app company that helps people make relationships said it agreed to a $1.3 billion, all-cash buyout by Ithaca Holdings.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after oil prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 5.22% from 5.24% late Friday. Trading in the U.S. bond market was closed Monday for a holiday.

Yields sank following a 0.7% dip for the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil to $105.91. Oil prices have been yo-yoing because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Options traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A general view shows the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

A dealer walks past the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Dealers work near the screens showing the foreign exchange rates at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Members of media report near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won are seen at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Dealers walk past the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)