France halts use of stun grenades after boy's hand blown off in student protests

What the report says

France has suspended the use of stun grenades in policing student protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand during unrest in the northern city of Lens, the BBC reports. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the pause would remain in place until the circumstances of Monday’s incident were clearer, as investigators examine conflicting accounts from police and protesters.

The decision comes amid days of demonstrations that have spread from high school pupils to parents, university students and trade unions, with several groups accusing police of using excessive force against teenagers. According to the BBC, the interior ministry said hundreds of thousands of people joined protests on Tuesday, while more than 500 schools were fully or partly closed on Wednesday. Officials also reported arrests and injuries among both protesters and security forces.

The Lens incident involved an anti-encirclement grenade, which authorities say the teenager picked up before it exploded. Students have disputed that account and say he was struck directly after an officer fired it. The BBC says police watchdog IGPN has opened multiple investigations into whether officers acted proportionately during the protests.

The unrest has become a wider political issue for President Emmanuel Macron’s government, which has faced pressure to calm the crisis as school disruptions continue and more demonstrations are planned.