France suspends police use of stun grenades following student injury

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced a temporary ban on stun grenades during student protests after a 15-year-old lost a hand during a demonstration in Lens.

The suspension of so-called anti-encirclement grenades was announced Wednesday following days of escalating demonstrations and allegations of police brutality. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told RTL radio that the pause would remain in effect until the facts surrounding Monday's incident in northern France are clarified. The BBC reported that the 15-year-old boy's hand was torn off after a grenade was fired near the Auguste Béhal high school in Lens.

Conflicting accounts of the injury have emerged. Authorities stated the boy picked up the device before it exploded, but students and the boy's mother allege he was hit directly by the projectile. According to the BBC and The Guardian, the incident occurred as police faced a group of up to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks. Nuñez confirmed that the police watchdog, IGPN, has opened 18 investigations into whether officers used proportionate force during recent protests.

The decision to halt the weapons' use follows a massive day of action on Tuesday, where hundreds of thousands of protesters demanded better school conditions. While most marches were peaceful, some ended in clashes. The interior ministry reported 488 arrests on Tuesday alone, and total arrests since the movement began last month have reached 6,100, according to Al Jazeera. Education Minister Édouard Geffray told the National Assembly that 24 schools had been so severely vandalized or set on fire that they must close for several weeks.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to deliver a public address on Wednesday evening to address the unrest and the country's finances. This follows an emergency meeting held by President Emmanuel Macron with key ministers to find a resolution to the crisis. Total casualty figures vary slightly between outlets; Al Jazeera reported at least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have been injured, while The Guardian cited 750 injured officers.

Background

Protests began in late September as students blocked hundreds of high schools to protest teacher shortages, dilapidated buildings, and lack of funding. The movement has since expanded to include parents, university students, and labor unions.