France halts use of stun grenades after boy’s hand blown off in student protests

France has suspended the use of stun grenades during high-school protests after a 15-year-old student suffered a devastating hand injury in Lens. The decision comes as nationwide student demonstrations over poor school conditions, overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages continue to draw attention. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the suspension would remain in place while authorities investigate exactly what happened during the incident. The move has intensified debate over police crowd-control tactics, student safety and the government’s response to the growing protests.

France Suspends Stun Grenades

France has suspended the use of stun grenades for policing during student protests across the country, after a 15-year-old suffered a devastating injury in Lens. The teenager’s hand was blown off during Monday’s incident, prompting Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to announce a temporary pause while the facts are clarified and the conflicting accounts surrounding the incident are investigated.

The Monday’s incident in Lens has intensified concerns among protesters and officials over police tactics. The circumstances remain under investigation, while questions about potentially disproportionate force have become part of the wider debate surrounding the treatment of teenagers during the demonstrations. By Wednesday, some schools were fully or partially shut as the protests continued to disrupt education.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was also expected to address the growing tensions in an evening address, as the government faced pressure over the school protests and the police response. Nuñez said the suspension would remain in place while authorities establish exactly what happened in Lens, with the IGPN investigating police conduct.

Student Protests and Police Response

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Tuesday, demanding better school conditions in cities across France. The demonstrations included tear gas and water cannon, while the interior ministry reported 488 people arrested and 43 members of the security forces hurt. The figures came as the protests expanded beyond high school pupils to include parents, university students and unions.

French radio RTL reported growing scrutiny of police action, while the police watchdog IGPN opened 18 investigations into the conduct of officers during the protests. Those investigations are intended to establish whether police actions were proportionate, particularly amid allegations surrounding the treatment of young people during the demonstrations.

The presence of high school pupils, parents, university students and unions has made the movement broader than a single school-related dispute. The demonstrations have focused on school conditions, while clashes between protesters and police have created a parallel debate about public order and the use of force.

Lens Grenade Incident

The police action in Lens has become the central incident behind the Ministry of the Interior decision to suspend stun grenades during the student movement. A 15-year-old boy had his hand torn off after a grenade exploded near Auguste Béhal high school, in the northern city of Lens, near Lille. Authorities are still examining the unclear circumstances surrounding the explosion.

The incident involved an anti-encirclement grenade, although the precise sequence remains under investigation. Reports have differed over whether the teenager picked up the grenade after it was deployed or whether other circumstances led to the injury. The local prefect confirmed that an investigation was launched, while the police officer involved in the operation and the wider police response are being examined.

Around 200-250 students were reported to have been present, with authorities saying stones and fireworks had been thrown toward police before officers intervened. The competing accounts have made the investigation important in establishing the precise circumstances of how the grenade exploded and caused the teenager’s severe injury.

Disproportionate Force and Government Response

A stun grenade is a non-lethal weapon designed to create a loud explosion and disorient people, while some police weapons can also deploy small rubber pellets. The device involved in the Lens incident has become the subject of scrutiny because of the severity of the teenager’s injury, while authorities investigate whether the police response involved disproportionate force.

The judicial investigations and the internal inquiries are now central to the government response. The government has said it needs to establish the facts while seeking to protect high school students and maintain order during demonstrations. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also faced the challenge of responding to violence and continuing protests that began in mid-September.

Since the movement began, 215 students, 85 staff and 715 police officers were reported as hurt, while 6,500 people had been stopped or arrested according to figures reported during the protests. The scale of the unrest has increased pressure on officials to balance the right to demonstrate with the protection of students and security forces.

Macron and School Protest Crisis

President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting on Tuesday with Sébastien Lecornu and other key ministers as the crisis continued. Around a quarter of lycées were reported to have been disrupted, reflecting the spread of the movement and the difficulty facing the government as school protests expanded across France.

Government figures placed participation at around 250,000, while students’ unions cited 450,000 people during the latest fourth round of demonstrations. The movement continued into Thursday in Paris and other cities, with demands focused on school conditions and wider concerns among students.

The scale of the demonstrations has kept the school protest crisis at the centre of national attention. With schools disrupted and clashes involving police reported in several locations, the government has faced pressure to respond to students’ demands while also addressing concerns about policing.

High School Union Calls for Restraint

The USL high school union, represented by Ryad Rani, called for calm and restraint as tensions continued. Speaking to French radio on Wednesday, Rani’s comments came after M. Nuñez announced the suspension of stun grenade use during the high school movement following the Lens incident.

The call for restraint came amid continued scrutiny of police officers and police action during demonstrations. High school students, parents, university students and unions have remained involved in the school protests, while the government has continued to manage the response of security forces.

Across France, the debate now includes both the demands of students and questions about policing. The union response has emphasised restraint as demonstrations continue, while the government and security forces face pressure to maintain order without worsening tensions surrounding the school protests.

Conclusion

France’s decision to suspend stun grenades during high-school protests highlights the growing concerns surrounding police tactics and student safety. The serious injury suffered by the 15-year-old in Lens has become a major focus as authorities investigate the circumstances of the incident. The suspension is intended to give investigators time to establish what happened and determine whether police actions were proportionate. Meanwhile, student protests continue to reflect wider frustrations over school conditions, staffing shortages, and education funding. The case could influence future decisions about crowd-control weapons and how authorities manage demonstrations involving young people.

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