France Halts Stun Grenade Use in Student Protests After Teenager Loses Hand

France has paused the use of stun grenades during student demonstrations following an incident in Lens where a 15-year-old boy lost his hand. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the suspension on Wednesday, stating there was a strong possibility a stun grenade caused the severe injury outside Auguste Behal high school on Monday.

Unrest And Closures

Protests entered their third week across the country, leaving more than 500 schools closed on Wednesday. Demonstrators have demanded better learning conditions, citing crumbling walls and teacher shortages that they blame for a sharp drop in French teenagers' reading and maths scores over the past decade. According to the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment, French 15-year-olds scored 43 points lower in reading in 2025 than in 2015, marking the biggest drop among OECD nations.

Clashes And Government Response

Education Minister Edouard Geffray told parliament that 24 high schools suffered heavy fire and vandalism damage, keeping them closed for weeks and leaving roughly 30,000 students without in-person classes. Repairs are estimated to cost between 20 million and 30 million euros. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu acknowledged the legitimate demands of the students while describing the unrest as the most violent student demonstrations in decades. Meanwhile, police used tear gas near Sciences Po university in Paris on Wednesday as unions and student groups planned further marches.

Context

Student protests in France often draw broad participation from teachers and unions when grievances involve public services and education funding. France faces strict budgetary pressures as successive governments work to manage public debt amid weak economic growth. Similar education-sector worker strikes and student demonstrations have also recently unfolded in other European nations including Belgium, Spain, and Portugal.