France: A teenager's hand is blown off by a stun grenade

A 15-year-old boy lost part of his hand after a police stun grenade exploded in his grip during a protest involving secondary school students and intervention police in Lens, northern France. The incident occurred on Monday ahead of a nationwide demonstration planned for Tuesday, aimed at highlighting underfunding of education, overcrowded schools, and poor conditions in school buildings. Regional newspaper La Voix du Nord reported the incident on Monday, citing local authorities. The explosion happened during a clash between students and police. According to the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch, the incident took place near the Auguste Béhal high school. A larger group of students gathered outside the school compared to previous days, and they threw various projectiles, such as stones, fireworks, and mortars, at the police present. In response, instructions were given to deploy a unit of riot police (CRS) to restore order, and the incident occurred in this context. According to AFP, citing a police union source, the student may have picked up a stun grenade fired by the riot police, which then exploded in his hand. However, a girl reportedly standing near the teenager claimed he did not pick up the grenade. “He didn’t pick it up,” she said. “I was there, I saw it. He didn’t pick it up, he didn’t catch it.” Lens mayor Sylvain Robert stated that the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear. “Like you, and like many others, I have seen some videos showing the aftermath,” he said. “But I did not see how the operation was organized, either by the police or by the students.” An investigation into the incident will be conducted by the French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN). The regional prosecutor confirmed this, stating the probe aims to clarify all aspects of the event. The protests began in September in Paris, particularly in poorer suburbs, and later spread across the country. Ahead of the national demonstration scheduled for Tuesday, around 400 to 500 secondary schools were either fully or partially closed due to protests and blockades. The government claims the demonstrations have exceeded initial demands and turned into violent unrest. Human rights organizations accuse the police of using excessive force against minors, including batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Authorities are also investigating another case involving a 16-year-old who suffered an eye injury after police allegedly fired rubber bullets at a group of protesters, according to friends of the victim. Six months before the presidential elections, the government and far-right National Rally (RN), led by presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, accuse members and mayors of the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), led by presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, of inciting protests. LFI denies these allegations, claiming it does not encourage violence and accuses the government of politicizing the situation and neglecting students' interests.