Severe injuries at French student protests draw scrutiny to police tactics
Twenty-four investigations have been opened by French police watchdog IGPN into incidents linked to the ongoing high school protest movement, the interior ministry said. The police response has reignited calls to scrap rubber bullets and launcher-fired riot-control weapons, long denounced by rights groups and UN experts as dangerous and excessive.
Seventeen-year-old Eden suffered severe injuries during a student protest in Paris, allegedly inflicted by a police officer's tear gas canister. Eden was sitting on a wall, just meters away from the protest area, when he was struck by a baton, causing him to kick the officer. A second officer then fired a tear gas grenade at Eden, hitting him in the face.
His parents, seeking to protect their privacy, have filed an attempted murder complaint. A police officer has been placed under formal investigation for assault. This case is one of 24 under investigation for the use of force during student unrest over school conditions. The protests, described as the most violent in decades, have led to calls for the withdrawal of less lethal weapons like rubber bullets and tear gas, which have been criticized as dangerous and disproportionate.
The police response has resulted in 28 cases of injuries, with 15 under investigation. French authorities stand out in Europe for their use of less lethal weapons, which are generally not used in other countries.
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