human rightsWednesday, October 7, 20262 sources

French Government Suspends Use of Stun Grenades at Student Protests After 15-Year-Old Loses Hand

The French government suspended the use of stun grenades at student protests following a 15-year-old protester losing his hand in Lens, northern France. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez ordered the temporary halt to investigate the incident. Protests across France continue with violent clashes and injuries to hundreds.

On October 7, 2026, the French government announced the suspension of stun grenade use at high school student protests after a 15-year-old protester lost his hand during a demonstration in Lens, northern France. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated the decision was made 'until we know what happened.' The incident occurred during a protest that had already seen violent clashes and injuries to hundreds of participants across the country. The Guardian reported that the suspension was part of a broader response to ongoing protests, which have been marked by accusations of police brutality. Le Monde noted that the decision was framed as a temporary measure to understand the circumstances of the injury. Both sources confirmed the suspension of stun grenades and the involvement of the French interior minister and police forces. There were no significant divergences in the reporting between the two outlets.

Timelines

French Student Protests and Government Response

Sources

IndependentLe MondeOct 7, 01:22 PM
French government suspends use of stun grenades at student protests after teen loses hand

France's interior minister said stun grenades would be temporarily withdrawn from use at protests organized by high school students 'just long enough to understand what happened.'

IndependentThe GuardianOct 7, 01:09 PM
French police suspend use of stun grenades after high-school protester loses hand

Minister says use of grenades has been stopped ‘until we know what happened’ as protests across France continue How dilapidated are French schools and how bad is inequality in the education system? Europe live – latest updates France is suspending the use of stun grenades by police at high-school demonstrations, the interior minister has said, amid mounting accusations of police brutality during a fortnight of protests marred by often violent clashes that have injured hundreds. Laurent Nuñez told RTL radio on Wednesday that he had ordered a temporary halt to the use of the grenades “in the context of the high-school students’ movement” after a 15-year-old lost a hand during a protest in Lens, northern Fance, on Monday. Continue reading...