France has suspended the use of stun grenades for policing student protests following an incident on Monday in which a 15-year-old boy lost his hand in the northern city of Lens.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the pause pending a full clarification of the facts, as accounts from protesters and officials conflict. The decision comes amid mounting criticism from several groups alleging disproportionate force against teenagers.
Unrest continued Wednesday with more than 500 schools fully or partially closed. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to address the crisis later in the evening.
On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands demonstrated nationwide demanding better school conditions. In several cities, police deployed tear gas and water cannons. The interior ministry reported 488 arrests and 43 injuries among security forces.
Nuñez told radio station RTL that the police watchdog, IGPN, has opened 18 investigations into whether officers acted proportionally during demonstrations that have expanded from high school pupils to parents, university students, and unions.
“There is a police action that raises questions for all of us within the Ministry of the Interior; it’s what happened in Lens,” Nuñez said, confirming the suspension of stun grenades “until the facts surrounding this case have been clarified.”
The boy’s hand was severed after an anti-encirclement grenade detonated near Auguste Béhal high school. Authorities maintain the teenager picked up the device before it exploded, while students allege he was struck directly by an officer’s shot.
The local prefect stated the incident occurred as police faced a group of 200 to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks. While classified as non-lethal, the grenade disperses rubber pellets upon detonation.
“When there is suspicion of disproportionate force, there are always judicial investigations,” Nuñez said, emphasizing the government’s duty to protect high school students.
The prime minister has condemned violence at the protests, which began in mid-September, noting that 215 students, 85 staff members, and 715 police officers have been injured since the movement started. More than 6,500 people have been stopped or arrested in that period.
President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting Tuesday evening with Lecornu and key ministers to resolve the crisis after nearly a quarter of all lycées were disrupted. Government figures estimate Tuesday’s turnout at over 250,000, while student unions put the number at 450,000. A fourth round of protests is planned for Thursday in Paris and other cities.
Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union, urged restraint on Wednesday: “We are telling Mr. Nuñez, calm your police officers down and call for restraint.”
