France halts stun grenades after teen loses hand in protests
France suspends stun grenade use in student protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during clashes near Lille.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- France suspends the deployment of stun grenades during student protests
- A 15-year-old boy lost his hand near Lille following a grenade blast
- Over 500 schools faced partial or full closures amid ongoing unrest
- The prime minister prepares an evening address to tackle the crisis
The French government has suspended the use of stun grenades for policing nationwide student protests, following an incident earlier this week where a 15-year-old boy suffered the amputation of his hand. Several groups have voiced strong complaints regarding law enforcement officers deploying disproportionate force against teenage demonstrators.
The disruptions persisted on Wednesday, resulting in more than 500 schools being fully or partially shut down. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to deliver an evening address addressing the widespread school protests and the escalating civil unrest.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets on Tuesday to demand better conditions within educational institutions. Tear gas and water cannons were deployed across several cities. The interior ministry confirmed that 488 individuals were arrested and 43 members of security forces sustained injuries during the clashes.
"We are telling M. Nuñez, calm your police officers down and call for restraint."
Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The severe injury of the 15-year-old boy occurred under unclear circumstances near the Auguste Béhal high school in the northern city near Lille, involving a so-called anti-encirclement grenade. Authorities claimed the teenager picked up the device before it detonated, whereas student representatives alleged he was struck directly after an officer fired.
This wave of student-led protests and subsequent police confrontations highlights deep-seated tensions surrounding state security measures in France. The deployment of non-lethal crowd-control weapons such as stun grenades against minors frequently serves as a major catalyst, expanding localized grievances into widespread demonstrations involving parents and labor unions, thereby exerting immense political pressure on the government to balance public order with civil liberties.
Additional concerns have emerged from a separate incident involving a 14-year-old who sustained a fractured jaw and lost several teeth after being struck in the face by a tear gas canister in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, northwest of Paris, leading to criminal charges against a police officer. Meanwhile, prosecutors announced an attempted murder investigation after a 17-year-old protester alleged an officer held his head underwater during an arrest near a river in Belfort.
President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting late Tuesday with key ministers to formulate a response as nearly a quarter of all high schools experienced disruptions. Government figures estimated over 250,000 protesters, while student unions claimed 450,000 participants ahead of a planned fourth wave of demonstrations in Paris and other cities.
Source: BBC World
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