France suspends stun grenades during student protests after teenager loses hand

French authorities have temporarily suspended the use of stun grenades during ongoing student protests after a 15-year-old boy lost a hand during a confrontation involving police in Lens.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the suspension on Wednesday while an investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s injuries.

The incident occurred near Auguste Béhal High School during demonstrations over conditions in France’s education system.

Students have been protesting issues including overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and deteriorating school infrastructure.

Conflicting accounts over how student was injured

Authorities and protesters have offered different versions of what happened.

Local reporting initially said the teenager picked up a police stun grenade before it exploded.

Some students, however, alleged that he was directly struck by a grenade fired by police.

The police oversight body, the IGPN, is investigating.

Nuñez said stun grenades would not be used during the current high-school protest movement until officials establish what happened in Lens.

The suspension therefore does not amount to a permanent nationwide ban on the weapon.

Police tactics face growing scrutiny

The Lens incident has intensified scrutiny of police tactics during the demonstrations.

Nuñez said 18 investigations had been referred to the IGPN over questions about police conduct during the protests.

Other serious injuries have also been reported during recent demonstrations, including a 14-year-old who suffered facial injuries after being struck by a tear-gas projectile.

More than 500 schools were fully or partly closed on Wednesday, while thousands of people have been detained or stopped since the protests began.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron have held emergency discussions as the government tries to respond to the widening student movement.