Paris: France has suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests after a 15 year old boy lost his hand in a police operation, as anger grows over the force used against young demonstrators.
The suspension applies only to the student protests for now, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told RTL on Wednesday. He said the measure was intended to give authorities time to determine exactly what had happened.
The boy, from the northern French town of Lens, suffered the injury on Monday. Investigators are examining whether he was struck by a police grenade or whether he picked it up himself while trying to throw it back. They are also seeking to establish whether the police action followed official rules.
France’s General Inspectorate of the National Police has opened an investigation into the incident. The police watchdog is already examining 18 cases connected to the protests.
One of those cases involves a 14 year old student who was hit at close range by a tear gas grenade during a police operation in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, northwest of Paris. The boy lost most of his teeth and suffered a broken jaw.
The officer who fired the grenade has been charged with unlawful use of force. Prosecutors believe the conditions for self defence were not met. Human rights groups, opposition politicians and many students have accused the police of responding to the demonstrations with excessive force.
The Interior Ministry said 488 people were arrested on Tuesday, while 43 security officers were injured. More than 6,500 people have been detained since the protests began, most of them minors.
Upper secondary students have been blocking access to hundreds of schools across France since mid September. They are demanding more teachers, smaller classes, shorter school days and better equipped schools.
Behind these demands lies a deeper frustration. Many students say the education system is marked by inequality and offers too few opportunities for the future. What began as a protest over school conditions has grown into a wider expression of anger from a young generation that feels neglected and uncertain.
