French police suspend the use of stun grenades after a high school student protester loses his hand

French police are suspending the use of stun grenades during high school student protests, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced today, amid increasing accusations of police brutality during two weeks of protests, reports the British newspaper The Guardian.

Nunez told RTL radio that he had ordered a temporary halt to the use of stun grenades at high school student movement demonstrations, after a fifteen-year-old boy lost his hand during a protest on Monday in Lens, in northern France.

Authorities have not determined whether the boy tried to pick up the grenade or if it struck him, but stated that up to 200 demonstrators were throwing objects at police when the riot control unit intervened.

Nunez said he is suspending the use of stun grenades “until it is precisely determined what happened.”

The boy’s mother stated today that her son’s hand was amputated and that he did not attempt to pick up the stun grenade.

The Ministry of Education announced that on Wednesday classes were fully or partially suspended in 429 out of a total of 3,700 French high schools, attended by students aged 15 to 18, which is significantly fewer than on Tuesday.

However, according to student organizations, students blocked 80 university campuses on Wednesday, including the prestigious Paris Institute of Political Studies “Sciences Po,” and several teachers’ unions called for a strike on Thursday.

At least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff have been injured since the start of the protests, which were triggered by a chronic shortage of teaching staff, overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated school buildings, and excessively long classes.

About 750 police officers have also been injured.

Minister Nunez stated that 18 internal police investigations have been launched regarding allegations of brutality during the demonstrations, including an incident in which a young protester lost several teeth, and another in which a student lost sight in one eye.

He said that investigations are always launched in response to allegations of disproportionate police action, but insisted that police officers are there to protect students.

Human rights groups and unions have repeatedly accused the police of using unnecessary force.

Yesterday, at least 250,000 students, parents, teachers, and union members took to the streets of cities across France, the largest turnout since the protests began, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to hold an emergency government session.

Most demonstrations passed without serious incidents, but some, including the one in Paris, ended with sporadic vandalism and clashes with police, during which officers dispersed protesters with tear gas and baton strikes.