France suspends police stun grenades at school protests after teenager loses hand

France's interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, announced on Wednesday that police use of stun grenades at high-school protests is suspended. He made the announcement on RTL radio. The Guardian quoted him as saying the measure applies "in the context of the high-school students' movement" and will last "until we know exactly what happened".

The decision followed an incident on Monday in which a 15-year-old protester lost a hand after a stun grenade was used. According to The Guardian, it happened during a protest in Lens, northern France. France 24 reported that the hand was blown off up to the elbow.

Nuñez said 18 internal police investigations have been opened since the protests began into allegations of brutality or misconduct. One concerns a young protester who lost several teeth. According to Daily Sabah, this was a 14-year-old student in northwest Paris who was hit in the face at close range by a tear gas grenade. Daily Sabah also reported that a police officer was charged on Tuesday over the incident. According to The Guardian, Nuñez said another investigation concerns a student who lost the use of an eye.

On Tuesday, pupils, parents, teachers and union members demonstrated in cities across France, including Paris. Most demonstrations were largely peaceful, with sporadic violent clashes. President Emmanuel Macron then held an emergency meeting with ministers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to speak on Wednesday about the protests and public finances.

More than 6,500 people have been arrested, most of them minors. The Guardian reported, citing the justice ministry, that more than 1,800 people are being prosecuted, nearly 1,500 of them under 18. It also reported that at least 215 teenagers, 85 school staff and about 750 police officers have been injured. The reports do not identify the source of these injury figures.

Protesters' complaints include teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings.

What is disputed

• Scope: The Guardian and France 24 report that only stun grenades were suspended. Daily Sabah reports tear gas was also suspended, though its own account of the RTL remarks mentions only stun grenades.
• The Lens injury: France 24 and Daily Sabah report the grenade was fired by police. According to The Guardian, authorities have not confirmed whether the boy picked it up or was struck by it.
• Turnout on Tuesday: The Guardian reports at least 250,000 people; Daily Sabah reports tens of thousands.

What each side says

• Nuñez said officers are present to protect students, according to The Guardian.
• Authorities said up to 200 protesters were throwing projectiles at police in Lens, according to The Guardian.
• The boy's mother told BFMTV, according to The Guardian, that he did not try to pick up the grenade: "His life has been stolen. He's a 15-year-old kid, how can children be treated like that?"
• Lecornu condemned the violence as intolerable and rejected accusations that the government ordered police repression.
• Rights groups and unions say police used disproportionate force. Amnesty France president Anne Savinel-Barras said images and testimony "raise alarming concerns about the dangerous use of teargas, batons and policing techniques", The Guardian reported.
• The government accuses La France Insoumise of encouraging the movement. Its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, supports the protests while urging non-violence.

Analysis

The suspension is linked to establishing what happened in Lens, so its duration may depend on that inquiry. The reports do not say how long it will last or whether it applies beyond school protests. The 18 internal investigations could shape public debate on policing, whichever way they conclude. According to The Guardian, the protests come months before a presidential election and while the government seeks to cut the deficit, which may limit its response to demands on staffing and buildings. Lower class disruptions reported on Wednesday could signal easing, or only a pause. Competing accounts of violence leave key facts unresolved.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.