France has suspended police use of stun grenades during high school protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand in an explosion in Lens, northern France. The decision comes as demonstrations over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings continue to spread across the country.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the suspension on Wednesday following the incident near Auguste Béhal High School on Monday. Speaking to RTL radio, Nuñez said the use of the grenades would stop during the current high school protest movement until authorities established exactly what had happened.
The circumstances surrounding the teenager’s injury remain disputed. Authorities said the boy picked up a grenade before it exploded, while students alleged that a police officer fired the device directly at him. The boy’s mother told BFMTV that doctors had amputated his hand and rejected the claim that her son had picked up the grenade.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of police tactics during the demonstrations. Nuñez said 18 internal police investigations were under way into allegations of misconduct during the protests. Other reported cases include a teenager who lost several teeth and another student who lost the use of an eye.
The demonstrations began in September, with students protesting conditions in France’s high schools. They have since drawn support from parents, teachers, university students and trade unions, turning a dispute over education into a nationwide movement.
More than 250,000 people took part in demonstrations on Tuesday, according to the Interior Ministry. Organisers estimated the turnout at 450,000. Marches and clashes were reported in several cities, including Paris, Strasbourg, Rennes and Toulouse. Police used tear gas and water cannon in some locations, while the ministry reported 488 arrests that day.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament that at least 215 teenagers and 85 school employees had been injured since the protests began. Hundreds of police officers have also sustained injuries during the unrest.
At the centre of the demonstrations are complaints about staff shortages, crowded classrooms, long school days and poorly maintained buildings. Students have described water leaks and pest problems, as well as difficulties getting replacement teachers when regular staff are absent. For many protesters, the issues reflect problems that have affected their daily education rather than isolated incidents.
The scale of disruption has been substantial. Education Ministry figures showed that more than 900 of France’s approximately 3,700 high schools faced blockades or closures on Tuesday, although student organisations reported higher numbers. By Wednesday, the ministry said 528 schools had fully or partly suspended classes.
President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with Lecornu and senior ministers on Tuesday night as the government considered how to respond. Lecornu has asked ministers to examine students’ demands, including the provision of replacement teachers, the length of the school day, lunch breaks and repairs to school buildings. Initial proposals are expected by the end of October.
The government has defended the police response overall while acknowledging that individual incidents must be investigated. Nuñez said officers had acted proportionately in almost all cases. Rights groups and trade unions have challenged that assessment, raising concerns about the use of tear gas, batons and other police tactics.
Anne Savinel-Barras, president of Amnesty France, said images and testimony from the demonstrations had raised questions about how police were handling the protests. The investigation into the Lens incident is likely to draw particular attention to the circumstances in which officers use crowd-control weapons and the risks those weapons pose to young people.
The unrest has also involved violence and damage to property. According to the reported figures, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since the demonstrations began. More than 6,500 people have been stopped or arrested during the unrest, and more than 1,800 people face prosecution.
The education dispute is unfolding as the French government faces pressure over public finances. The yield on French 10-year government bonds briefly exceeded 5% the previous week, reaching its highest level in 24 years. Higher borrowing costs add to the pressure on public spending and could complicate efforts to meet demands for additional investment in schools.
Education spending in France has also struggled to keep pace with inflation. Results from the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed French students performing below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average in overall performance, adding to concerns about the state of the country’s education system.
Student unions have announced further demonstrations in Paris and other cities for Thursday. As the protests continue, the government faces pressure on two fronts: addressing longstanding complaints about school conditions while investigating allegations of excessive force and preventing further injuries during demonstrations.
