Teenager loses hand in French school protest grenade incident

A 15-year-old protester lost his hand on Oct 5 after picking up a stun grenade used by police during a confrontation near Auguste Béhal high school in Lens, northern France. He was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, and officials said his life was not in danger. An investigation has been opened into the circumstances.¹²³

Confrontation outside the school

Officials said the crowd gathered outside the school was bigger than on earlier days. Students threw stones, fireworks and mortars at local police officers, after which a company of riot police was sent to the area to maintain order. The teenager was injured during the resulting confrontation.²

François-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, confirmed that the teenager had been transferred to hospital. Sylvain Robert, the mayor of Lens, said the circumstances still had to be established. The IGPN will conduct the investigation into the incident.²

Auguste Béhal high school moved to distance learning after the confrontation and established a listening and support unit for its community. The school said the change was intended to ensure safety following the morning’s events.²

Protests spread across France

Demonstrations over a lack of teachers started at a school on the outskirts of Paris and expanded throughout France in September. Students have also protested about staffing and the condition of school buildings. Reports on Oct 5 estimated that roughly 500 schools were completely or partly closed as teenagers maintained blockades.¹²³

Around 5,000 people, most of them teenagers, had been arrested across France, while dozens had been injured. Damage to property was estimated at tens of millions of euros. Student unions called for a national day of demonstrations, and university students continued supporting the school movement, with as many as 40 university buildings blockaded, according to the Guardian.¹³

Other confrontations were reported in Lille, while police used tear gas in Toulouse. The Independent reported that police officers had been attacked, fires had broken out and some people involved in the unrest did not appear to be high school students. Paris police chief Patrice Faure urged students to replace blockades with peaceful protest.³

Government and union responses

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the schoolchildren’s grievances were “legitimate” and instructed ministers to address five major student demands, according to the Guardian. The government was asked to prepare proposals, while government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said restoring order was the priority, according to the Independent.¹³

According to the Guardian, the number of teacher absences without substitute cover had risen twofold in a decade, while class sizes had reached their highest level on record. Sophie Binet, head of the CGT trade union, said union members would attend demonstrations to “protect high school students”. She accused the government of carrying out an unprecedented crackdown, an allegation reported by the Independent.¹³

Other reported injuries

In Tours, a 16-year-old pupil lost sight in his right eye, and his family filed a complaint alleging police violence. The state prosecutor said the injury was consistent with the impact of a police rubber bullet. The Independent separately reported that teenagers had suffered eye injuries and that at least one had lost teeth.¹³

The Independent said a teacher in Angers was hit in the head with an iron bar by people reportedly unconnected to the school. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said that since the protests started, 24 schools had been damaged by fires or looting and 78 education workers had been hurt; the other dossier sources did not independently verify those numbers.³