French Police Face Scrutiny As Student Protest Injuries Mount

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) French police are facing mounting scrutiny over their handling of nationwide student protests after several teenagers suffered serious injuries during clashes, prompting investigations into alleged excessive force and renewed calls to restrict the use of rubber bullets and stun grenades.

France's internal police watchdog, the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), is investigating 24 cases linked to the policing of demonstrations that began more than two weeks ago over conditions in schools. Reuters has documented 28 cases of injuries allegedly caused by police force, including 15 that are among those under investigation.

One of the most serious cases involves a 14-year-old student identified as Eden, who suffered a broken jaw and multiple damaged teeth after being struck in the face by a tear-gas grenade fired at close range during a protest in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, near Paris, according to his family and lawyer. The family has filed a complaint alleging attempted murder, while the officer involved has been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of causing permanent injury or disfigurement. Police have declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

Another case concerns a 15-year-old student in the northern city of Lens who lost a hand during a confrontation involving police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said there was a strong possibility that a stun grenade caused the injury and ordered a temporary suspension of their use during student protests while the incident is investigated. A separate case in the Paris suburb of Argenteuil involved a 16-year-old whose left eye was injured after an encounter with police; the extent of any permanent damage remains unclear.

The incidents have intensified criticism of France's use of so-called less-lethal weapons, including rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear-gas launchers. Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International, and some politicians have called for tighter restrictions or a permanent ban, arguing that such weapons can cause severe and irreversible injuries, particularly when used against young demonstrators.

French authorities have also reported injuries among security personnel and damage to public property. Interior Minister Nuñez said about 200 students had been injured, although he argued that police action was responsible in only a small proportion of cases. Authorities said approximately 700 police officers had also been injured, while schools were burned or vandalised and teachers and members of the public were attacked. Police had arrested 6,877 people, most of them minors, according to figures cited by Reuters.

The response has exposed a broader dispute over public order policing in France. Researchers and rights advocates have questioned the country's reliance on weapons that are rarely used for routine crowd control in several other European countries. Police unions, however, argue that officers need intermediate options to respond to violent confrontations and protect themselves without resorting to lethal force.

The demonstrations began amid student anger over school conditions, including inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms and shortages of teachers. The unrest has since become a wider source of political pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government ahead of France's 2027 election. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has described the protests as among the most violent the country has experienced in decades.

Investigations into the reported injuries are continuing, with authorities examining the circumstances of individual encounters between police and demonstrators. The findings could shape the debate over police accountability, the use of crowd-control weapons and the government's response to the student movement.

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