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Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters     (french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       French riot police face off against students outside Sciences Po university in Paris. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters       (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) France     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 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/how-dilapidated-french-schools-inequality-education-system-protests) How dilapidated are French schools and how bad is inequality in the education system?   (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/07/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-putin-france-protests-europe-latest-news-updates) Europe live – latest updates            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonhenley) Jon Henley in Paris   Wed 7 Oct 2026 05.09 EDT  Last modified on Wed 7 Oct 2026 05.37 EDT   (mailto:?subject=French police suspend use of stun grenades after high-school protester loses hand&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/07/french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          France is suspending the use of stun grenades by police at high-school demonstrations, the interior minister has said, amid mounting (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/french-student-protests-barricades-paris-police) 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.  Authorities have not confirmed the exact circumstances – in particular, whether the boy had picked the grenade up or had been struck by it – but said up to 200 protesters had been hurling projectiles at police when the riot squad intervened. Nuñez said he was suspending use of the grenades “until we know exactly what happened”. The boy’s mother said on Wednesday that her son’s hand had been amputated. She told BFMTV: “His life has been stolen. He’s a 15-year-old kid, how can children be treated like that?” She said her son had not tried to pick the grenade up. At least 215 teenagers and 85 school staff have been injured since the start of the protests over (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/how-dilapidated-french-schools-inequality-education-system-protests) chronic teacher shortages, crowded classes, dilapidated buildings and long school days . About 750 police offers have also been wounded. Nuñez said 18 internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality during the demonstrations, including one incident in which a young protester lost multiple teeth and another in which a student lost the use of an eye.       (Protesters battle teargas during demonstrations in Paris.)   (french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       Protesters battle teargas during demonstrations in Paris. Photograph: Véronique de Viguerie/Getty Images  He said inquiries were always opened over accusations of “non-proportional” policing, but insisted officers were there to protect the students. Rights groups and trades unions have repeatedly accused the police of using unnecessary force. The decision came a day after (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/protests-schools-blockade-streets-france) at least 250,000 pupils, parents, teachers and unionists took to the streets in cities across France on the biggest day yet of the campaign, prompting the president, Emmanuel Macron, to hold an emergency cabinet meeting. Most marches passed off without serious incident, but some – including in Paris – ended in sporadic vandalism and running skirmishes with riot police, with officers firing teargas and carrying out baton charges to disperse protesters. The prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, is due to make a speech on Wednesday on the demonstrations as well as the dire state of the country’s finances, which is severely constraining the government’s capacity to act on the protesters’ demands. Lecornu on Tuesday condemned the violence and told parliament it could not be tolerated, while also rejecting accusations that the government had ordered “police repression” against the protesters. Over the past fortnight demonstrators have set dustbins on fire outside their schools, destroyed bus shelters and hurled projectiles at riot police, who have responded with batons, teargas and riot-control rounds. (french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-14) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | Every day    Sign up to Headlines Europe  A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion         (Police and students face off outside Sciences Po in Paris.)   (french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand.html#img-3)   View image in fullscreen       Police and students face off outside Sciences Po in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Getty Images  Twenty-four schools have been burned or ransacked, while more than 6,500 people have ​been arrested, almost all of them minors. More than 1,800 are being prosecuted, nearly 1,500 of them under 18, the justice ministry has said. Anne Savinel-Barras, the president of Amnesty (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) France , said earlier this week that images and testimony from the protests “raise alarming concerns about the dangerous use of teargas, batons and policing techniques”. The education ministry said classes had been wholly or partially suspended in 528 of the country’s 3,700 lycées – high schools attended by pupils aged between 15 and 18 – on Wednesday, a significantly lower number than on Tuesday. The protests, months before key presidential elections to choose Macron’s successor, have rattled a government trying to reduce a ballooning budget deficit amid mounting investor concern over France’s ​sky-high debt and weak economic growth. They have also sparked a heated political row, with the government accusing the radical-left La France Insoumise party of encouraging and even orchestrating the movement after numerous LFI MPs attended school blockades. The party’s veteran leader and presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has strongly supported the protests, while urging non-violence.         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) France  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/protest) Protest  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=French police suspend use of stun grenades after high-school protester loses hand&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/07/french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Foct%2F07%2Ffrench-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand&type=article&internalpagecode=world/2026/oct/07/french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                      More on this story                     (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/06/europe-french-school-protests-paris-germany-afd-bulgaria-drones-russia-ukraine-latest-news-updates)    ()      Almost 500 people arrested during high school protests in France – Europe live as it happened   (Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 02:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 16h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/how-dilapidated-french-schools-inequality-education-system-protests)    ()      How dilapidated are French schools and how bad is inequality in the education system?   (Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 09:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 20h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/protests-schools-blockade-streets-france)    ()      Riot police fire teargas as 250,000 take part in schools protests across France   (Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 01:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 17h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/french-student-protests-barricades-paris-police)    ()      ‘This is state violence’: Paris students rage at politicians and heavy-handed policing   (Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 18h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/05/protests-in-france-and-spain-appear-disparate-but-core-issues-are-the-same)    ()      In both France and Spain, ruling parties must prove they can give young protesters hope   (Monday, October 5, 2026 at 10:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/05/schoolboy-loses-hand-police-stun-grenade-french-school-protests)    ()      France braces for national day of school protests as boy loses hand   (Monday, October 5, 2026 at 11:50 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/04/schools-france-closed-protests-planned)    ()      More than 400 schools in France to be closed on Monday as more protests planned   (Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 11:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 3d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/student-protests-shut-schools-across-france)    ()      Fires, fury and hundreds of arrests as France gripped by student protests   (Friday, October 2, 2026 at 10:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 5d ago                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) Americas  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) Asia  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) Inequality  (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) Global development       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (french-police-suspend-use-stun-grenades-high-school-protester-loses-hand.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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