France suspended the use of stun grenades in student demonstrations on Wednesday after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a clash in Lens. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered the pause as high school closures passed 500 during nationwide unrest over dilapidated school infrastructure and teacher shortages.
France Halts Stun Grenade Use After Boy Loses Hand in Lens Clash
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that there was a strong possibility
the firing of a stun grenade caused a 15-year-old high school student’s hand to be blown off near the Auguste Behal high school following an incident in the northern city of Lens on Monday. The French government ordered an immediate pause on non-lethal stun grenades as a result.
Authorities and student protesters offered conflicting accounts of the incident. While local officials maintained that the teenager picked up the grenade after police confronted a group of 200 to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks, students alleged that an officer fired directly at him. The police watchdog IGPN opened 18 investigations to determine whether security forces acted proportionately during the demonstrations.
Minister Laurent Nunez
I am suspending their use for the high school students’ movement until light has been shed on what happened in this case
The interior ministry confirmed that the use of stun grenades was halted while the facts are clarified. Minister Nunez added that the government remains committed to protecting high school students and noted that judicial investigations automatically follow any suspicion of disproportionate force.
Protests Close More Than 500 Schools Across France
More than 500 schools were fully or partially closed on Wednesday, building on a wave of unrest that began in mid-September over dilapidated infrastructure, overloaded schedules, teacher shortages, and a lack of funding as high school and university demonstrations continue to disrupt education across France.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu acknowledged the legitimate demands of protesting students while condemning the violence that has marked the movement. Government figures indicate that 215 students, 85 staff members, and 715 police officers have been injured since the demonstrations started. Over 6,500 people have been stopped or arrested by security forces, including 488 arrests during Tuesday’s marches when tear gas and water cannons were deployed in several cities.
Student unions estimated that 450,000 people took to the streets on Tuesday, whereas the interior ministry placed the figure at more than 250,000. Protesters have pointed to declining educational outcomes as evidence of systemic neglect, noting that French 15-year-olds scored significantly lower in reading and mathematics in recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment rankings compared to a decade earlier.
Elections Approach as Unions Back Student Protests
The escalating crisis presents a major challenge six months ahead of presidential elections to replace Emmanuel Macron, with hard-left and far-right parties polling as frontrunners. Prime Minister Lecornu faces difficult fiscal constraints in trying to address demands for investment in aging school buildings while attempting to tame public debt amid weak economic growth.
Trade unions have stepped up their involvement, with the left-wing CGT pledging continued support for mobilized youth.
CGT union statement
The CGT will continue to shoulder its responsibilities in supporting the young people who have mobilised and protecting them from violence and police repression
High school unions have also pressed authorities to de-escalate tensions. Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union, stated on French radio, We are telling M. Nuñez, calm your police officers down and call for restraint.