Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the suspension after two teenagers were seriously hurt during demonstrations. Police have also opened internal investigations into alleged misconduct.
France has suspended police use of stun grenades at student protests after two teenagers were seriously injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the measure on Wednesday, Oct. 7, following several days of demonstrations and complaints about excessive force.
According to ABC, citing Nuñez’s statement to RTL radio, a 15-year-old student lost a hand on Monday after a stun grenade was fired. Another teenager, a 14-year-old from a northwestern Paris suburb, was struck in the face by a tear-gas grenade fired at close range and lost several teeth. A complaint was filed against an officer over that incident on Tuesday.
Nuñez said police had opened 18 internal investigations into alleged misconduct since the protests began. Le Parisien specified that the suspension applied to a particular launcher-fired grenade and was precautionary while an inquiry examines the injury to the 15-year-old in Lens.
The demonstrations began in late September, when students blocked entrances to hundreds of secondary schools, demanding better-maintained facilities and more teachers. Tens of thousands took to the streets across France on Tuesday, joined by parents, teachers and union members. Clashes have been sporadic, while most demonstrations have remained peaceful.
President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and key ministers. Lecornu condemned the violence and said it would not be tolerated, but rejected claims that the government had ordered a police crackdown. His office said he would address the protests and the country’s finances on Wednesday.