France Suspends Stun Grenades Following Serious Student Injuries

The French government has officially suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests following a series of violent incidents. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the temporary ban on Wednesday, stating that the measure will remain in place until the facts surrounding a recent injury in the northern city of Lens are fully understood. In that incident, a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during a demonstration near a high school.

This decision marks a significant change in how authorities are managing weeks of unrest that have spread across the country. According to BBC News, the student movement began as a call for better conditions in schools, including requests for more teachers, smaller class sizes, and building renovations. However, the protests have frequently resulted in clashes between demonstrators and security forces, leading to hundreds of injuries on both sides.

Accounts of the incident in Lens remain divided. While authorities suggest the student may have picked up the device before it detonated, the boy’s mother told BFMTV that her son did not touch the grenade. The Guardian reports that this is not the only case of serious injury; another student recently suffered a fractured jaw after being hit by a tear gas canister, and others have reported losing teeth or suffering eye injuries during the demonstrations. In response to these concerns, the police watchdog has opened 18 separate investigations to determine if officers used a level of force that was appropriate for the situation.

Despite the growing anger, government officials have defended the police. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated in a televised address that security forces do not have orders to confront young people. He acknowledged that the students' frustration does not come from nowhere, noting that past promises to fix school issues were often not kept because they were too difficult to achieve. The government has promised to present a new plan for schools by the end of October, though it has not yet provided specific details on how these improvements will be funded.

Not everyone agrees with the decision to stop using stun grenades. Some police unions have expressed skepticism, warning that removing these tools could make it more difficult for officers to manage large, violent crowds. Jean-Paul Nascimento, a representative for the UNSA police union, told FranceInfo that without these weapons, police might be forced into closer contact with protesters, which could potentially lead to even more injuries.

Beyond the physical clashes, the government is also dealing with the spread of misinformation. Officials have warned that fake videos circulating on social media are making the situation worse by falsely claiming that police are threatening students. Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry has taken the unusual step of summoning the Iranian ambassador to protest against what they called a disinformation campaign, after Iranian officials criticized France’s handling of the protests.

As of Wednesday, the scale of the protests appeared to be changing. While hundreds of schools were affected earlier in the week, the number of schools reporting closures dropped significantly. However, university students and teachers' unions have joined the movement, and many continue to organize blockades and strikes. With hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets, the government is under immense pressure to find a peaceful solution before the situation escalates further.

For now, the suspension of stun grenades represents a cautious attempt by the government to lower tensions. As the country waits for the results of the ongoing investigations, the focus remains on whether the government can provide the concrete, quick answers that students are demanding. Whether this move will be enough to calm the streets or if further unrest is on the horizon remains to be seen.