France Suspends Stun Grenades After Teen’s Hand Lost in Lens Protests

Wed Oct 07 2026 22:21:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

France pauses use of stun grenades amid nationwide student protests after a 15‑year‑old’s hand was blown off in Lens.

France has halted the use of stun grenades by police during student protests following a 15‑year‑old’s hand being blown off in Lens. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez cited conflicting accounts of the incident and ordered investigations before resuming use. The pause comes after a series of police‑related injuries, including a tear‑gas grenade injury and alleged mistreatment of a 17‑year‑old protester. Nationwide demonstrations have seen hundreds of schools shut, thousands arrested and government emergency meetings convened. The decision signals growing pressure on law enforcement to use proportionate force amid a broader school‑rights crisis.

France Suspends Stun Grenades After Teen’s Hand Lost in Lens Protests

France has suspended the use of stun grenades by police during student protests nationwide after a 15‑year‑old boy’s hand was blown off in the town of Lens early this week.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the pause would remain in place until the facts of the Lens incident were clarified, citing conflicting reports from both protestors and police officials. Police officials claimed the student had picked up the grenade, while students allege he was struck by an officer’s gunfire.

The Lens incident follows a spate of police‑related injuries across the country, including a 14‑year‑old who lost several teeth from a tear‑gas grenade in Saint‑Ouen‑l’Aumône and a 17‑year‑old who claimed an officer held him underwater during an arrest in Belfort.

Hundreds of schools remain closed, with more than 6,500 people detained since protests began in September. The protest movement, driven by claims of overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated facilities, has attracted over 250,000 demonstrators nationwide according to government data.

A government emergency meeting was convened with President Emmanuel Macron to address the crisis, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu prepares to address the nation on the school protests in the evening. Unions called for police restraint and urged the Minister to calm the situation.