France has suspended the use of stun grenades by police at student-led demonstrations, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on Wednesday, as allegations of police brutality mounted after days of sometimes violent protests across the country. The decision comes after a 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday when police fired a stun grenade. Nunez stated that the suspension was "only for the high school student protests" and for "just long enough to understand what happened".
The protests began in late September with students blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools for 15- to 17-year-olds over complaints of dilapidated facilities and teacher shortages. While most schools reopened on Wednesday, more than 500 remained at least partially closed with students blocking doors with mounds of trash bins. Parents, teachers, and union workers joined the demonstrations in Paris and other cities for a national day of mobilisation on Tuesday.
At least 488 people were arrested and 43 members of the security forces wounded in the protests on Tuesday, which saw a quarter of a million people mass across France, according to the interior ministry. Most of the day's demonstrations were peaceful, but there were sporadic clashes across the country with protesters throwing projectiles and security forces using tear gas. The government has blamed the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) for stoking tensions around the protests.
The interior ministry reported that police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct since the protests began. A policeman was charged on Tuesday over an incident where a 14-year-old student in northwest Paris was hit in the face with a tear gas grenade at close range, losing several teeth. Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of LFI, criticised the government's response, saying it took several children being maimed for life for Nunez to give up using grenades against high school students.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced a half-day of class time would be set aside in schools on Wednesday to allow for "internal democratic" dialogue, intended to give students and staff the opportunity to voice their issues. However, student union leader Ryad Rani told local press that the effort was "yet another attempt to muzzle the debate" and to gain time. The union representative for school principals, Nicolas Bonnet, stated that "to get out of this crisis, we will need something more than simple consultation periods".
The protests have resulted in significant disruptions, with over 6,500 people, mostly minors, arrested since the start of the movement. The government has reported that at least 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured, as well as 85 teaching staff. President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with Lecornu and other key ministers on Tuesday evening to find a way out of the crisis.
Lecornu condemned the violence on Tuesday and told lawmakers that the violence would not be tolerated, while also rejecting accusations that the government had ordered "police repression" against protesters. The government faces pressure to address the concerns of students and teachers, who are demanding better conditions in high schools. The situation remains volatile, with many schools still partially closed and protests expected to continue.
Key points
- France suspends stun grenades by police at student-led demonstrations
- Over 6,500 people arrested since the start of the protests
- At least 215 students and 715 police officers injured in the protests
