French authorities have suspended the use of stun grenades by police at high school protests amid ongoing unrest across the country, while officials maintain that allegations of police brutality are overstated. The decision comes after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a demonstration in Lens, northern France, earlier this week.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the temporary halt on stun grenade use in connection with the student protests, citing the need to clarify the circumstances surrounding the youth’s injury. Although officials have not confirmed whether the boy was struck directly by the grenade or was injured after attempting to pick it up, Nuñez noted that police intervention followed reports of up to 200 protesters throwing projectiles at officers. The boy’s mother told media outlets that her son’s hand was amputated and insisted he did not try to pick up the grenade, describing the incident as a grave injustice toward a child.
The protests, which began roughly two weeks ago, have been driven by student demands for improved conditions in high schools, including the replacement of absent teachers, renovation of outdated facilities, and relief from overcrowded classrooms and extended schooldays. The education ministry reported that 429 of France’s roughly 3,700 lycées experienced partial or full class suspensions on Wednesday, a decline from the previous day. On the same day, approximately 80 university campuses, including the prestigious Sciences Po in Paris, were blocked by mostly peaceful demonstrations, supported by unions planning further strike actions.
Nuñez provided an injury toll to parliament, stating that 215 teenagers and 89 school staff members had been hurt since the protests began, along with 761 police officers. He confirmed that 18 internal investigations into alleged police misconduct had been initiated, including incidents where a protester lost multiple teeth and another student suffered the permanent loss of vision in one eye. While authorities emphasized that officers act to protect both students and public order, human rights groups and labor unions have repeatedly criticized the police response as excessive.
On Tuesday, an estimated 250,000 participants—comprising pupils, parents, teachers, and union members—marched peacefully across France in the largest demonstrations since the onset of the movement. However, some protests, notably in Paris, ended with isolated acts of vandalism and confrontations between demonstrators and riot police, who deployed teargas and baton charges to disperse crowds.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu echoed the interior minister’s stance, asserting that security forces were not ordered to confront students aggressively. Speaking on Wednesday, Lecornu acknowledged the validity of young people’s frustrations and promised a government action plan would be unveiled by the end of October to address the core issues raised by the protests. He condemned the violence that has accompanied some demonstrations but rejected claims that the government had sanctioned repression.
The unrest has seen hundreds of injuries on all sides and significant property damage, including at least 24 schools that have been burned or vandalized. Law enforcement has arrested more than 6,600 individuals, most of whom are minors, with over 1,800 currently held in custody. The situation remains fluid as authorities balance maintaining order with responding to demands for meaningful educational reforms.