France has ordered a pause on the use of stun grenades by police responding to nationwide student protests, following an incident earlier this week in which a 15-year-old boy had his hand blown off. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the suspension, saying it would remain in place until the circumstances of Monday's event in the northern city of Lens had been fully clarified. The decision marks a significant concession by the government as it struggles to contain a protest movement that has expanded well beyond its original base.
The injured teenager was hurt near the Auguste Béhal high school in Lens, a town close to Lille. According to authorities, the boy picked up a so-called anti-encirclement grenade, which then detonated. Student witnesses, however, have disputed that account, alleging that an officer fired the device directly at him. Local officials said the confrontation began when police were faced by a group of 200 to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks. The conflicting narratives have become a central point of friction.
Stun grenades are classed as a non-lethal weapon, but they release small rubber pellets when they explode. Their use against young protesters has raised broader questions about the proportionality of police tactics during the demonstrations. Nuñez acknowledged on French radio RTL that the events in Lens had prompted concern across the Interior Ministry, describing the case as one that "raises questions for all of us." He confirmed the suspension would hold pending clarification.
The unrest has now entered its fourth week, having begun in mid-September. On Wednesday, more than 500 schools were either fully or partially shut. The previous day, hundreds of thousands of people marched in cities across France to demand better conditions in schools. In some locations, officers deployed tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds. The Interior Ministry reported that 488 people had been arrested and 43 security personnel injured during Tuesday's actions alone.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to address the school protests in an evening broadcast, as the government seeks a path out of the crisis. President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting late on Tuesday with Lecornu and other senior ministers. The urgency reflects the scale of the disruption: nearly a quarter of all lycées, or high schools, were affected by Tuesday's protests. Government figures put the number of demonstrators at more than 250,000, while student unions claimed a considerably higher turnout of 450,000.
The movement has broadened from its origins among high school pupils to include parents, university students and trade unions. A fourth round of protests is planned for Thursday in Paris and other cities. Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union, used a radio interview on Wednesday to appeal directly to the interior minister. "We are telling M. Nuñez, calm your police officers down and call for restraint," he said, underscoring the distrust that has developed between demonstrators and the security forces.
Concerns about police conduct have been deepened by other recent cases. Last week, a 14-year-old was struck in the face by a tear gas grenade in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, north-west of Paris. His lawyer said the boy lost several teeth and sustained a fractured jaw. A police officer has been charged in connection with that incident. On Wednesday, prosecutors disclosed that an attempted murder investigation had been opened after a 17-year-old protester alleged an officer "held his head underwater" while attempting to arrest him near a river in the north-eastern city of Belfort. These episodes have fuelled accusations that officers have used disproportionate force against teenagers.
Nuñez said the police watchdog, the IGPN, had opened 18 investigations to determine whether officers had acted proportionately during the demonstrations. He stressed that judicial inquiries are launched whenever there is suspicion of excessive force, and he insisted the government was "here to protect high school students." The prime minister, meanwhile, has condemned violence that has occurred at some protests, noting on Tuesday that 215 students, 85 staff and 715 police officers had been hurt since the unrest began. More than 6,500 people have been stopped or arrested over the same period, according to the Interior Ministry.
The decision to suspend stun grenades represents a rare retreat by the authorities, but it may not be enough to defuse anger on the streets. Student organisers have shown little sign of backing down, and the planned Thursday demonstrations will test whether the government's gestures can restore calm. The protests over crowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings have tapped into long-standing grievances about the state of France's public education system. The involvement of parents and unions suggests the movement has the potential to widen further.
For the government, the crisis presents both a security and a political challenge. Ministers must balance public order against accusations of heavy-handedness that have alarmed many parents. The suspension of stun grenades may buy some goodwill, but the multiple investigations now under way will keep scrutiny on police conduct. With a fourth day of action looming and no sign that student leaders are prepared to negotiate, the coming days are likely to prove decisive in determining whether France's school protests subside or escalate into a broader confrontation.
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