French student loses hand as nationwide protests prompt police to halt use of stun grenades
Amid continuing student protests in France and mounting concern over violent clashes, the interior ministry has said police use of stun grenades during student demonstrations will be temporarily suspended.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, the decision was taken after a 15-year-old teenager lost a hand during the protests. French police have also opened 18 investigations into the incidents and the use of crowd-control equipment.
As protests intensified, France’s education ministry said 215 students and 88 education staff had been injured since demonstrations began in mid-September. Based on the same figures, 715 police and gendarmes have also been hurt.
The protests have had wide-ranging effects on education. According to French officials, 24 high schools are currently unable to reopen because of fire or severe damage, and about 30,000 students are unable to attend classes in person. Hundreds of other schools have also been damaged, and the cost of the losses is estimated at at least 20 million to 30 million euros.
According to France’s interior ministry, 6,547 people have been arrested in connection with the protests since September 28. In the latest incident, lessons at 459 schools were fully or partly suspended on Wednesday, and student unions have called for schools to remain closed and for new marches to be held on Thursday.
Amid the unrest, images from the Saint-Denis area near Paris have circulated on social media showing Mayor Bally Bagayoko standing between protesting students and riot police in an attempt to prevent a direct confrontation. Student protests in France have intensified in response to cuts to education funding and what students describe as rising discrimination and stricter rules in schools.
