Teenager loses hand during school protest clashes with police in northern France
A teenager lost his hand during clashes in Lens as French school protests entered their third week, amid scrutiny of police tactics and accusations of political interference.
Lens, France. A teenager’s hand was blown off during clashes between high-school protesters and riot police in northern France on Monday, a local official said. The incident came on the eve of a national demonstration called by the pupils’ union against underfunding, overcrowding and dilapidated school facilities.
Injury during clashes
Regional newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the 15-year-old lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police dispersal grenade that detonated in Lens, as the wave of school protests entered its third week.
François-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, declined to comment on the exact circumstances. He said about 200 to 250 protesters had been throwing objects at police.
Government response and political accusations
Six months before an election to replace President Emmanuel Macron, his government and the far-right National Rally, led by presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen, have accused lawmakers and mayors from hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) of stoking the protests. LFI denies the accusation.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray said participation in the protests had declined in recent days. Speaking after meeting students in the northern Paris suburbs, he said the government would launch a platform for students to express their dissatisfaction and introduce an action plan for particular schools.
LFI, headed by presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, denies encouraging violence and accuses the government of politicising the issue and neglecting pupils’ interests.
Police tactics under scrutiny
Rights groups accuse police of using heavy-handed tactics against minors, including batons, tear gas and flash-ball guns.
Among several investigations into police methods, authorities are examining the case of a 16-year-old who suffered an eye injury after police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of protesters, according to his friends.
The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegation of excessive force.
Arrests and prosecutions
France’s Justice Ministry said 5,060 people had been arrested since the protests began, with minors accounting for 87% of those detained.
More than 1,800 people are being prosecuted, including 1,483 minors, the ministry said, without specifying the crimes. It added that 790 cases had been dismissed.
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