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

The French government has temporarily halted the use of stun grenades during student protests following a tragic incident in Lens where a 15-year-old's hand was blown off. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez requested a pause in the use of the non-lethal weapon until the facts surrounding the incident were clarified. Conflicting accounts were provided by both protesters and officials regarding the events leading to the injury.

The suspension of stun grenade usage comes after the protests disrupted over 500 schools and resulted in more than 488 arrests and 43 injured security force members. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to address the school protests in an evening speech. The use of tear gas and water cannon was also reported in some areas during the demonstrations.

Nuñez confirmed that the police watchdog, IGPN, has launched 18 investigations to assess whether the force used by officers was proportionate. The incident sparked concerns over the use of disproportionate force against young protesters, with a 14-year-old sustaining severe injuries from a tear gas grenade and a 17-year-old alleging that a police officer held his head underwater during an arrest.

President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting with key ministers to address the crisis, as student protests continued with thousands participating across various cities.