France halts use of stun grenades after boy's hand blown off in student protests

France has suspended the use of 'anti-encirclement' stun grenades in student protests following an incident where a 15-year-old lost his hand. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez requested the pause pending further investigation into the Lens incident. The protests, which involve hundreds of thousands of students and unions, focus on school conditions but have been marked by violent clashes, arson, and hundreds of arrests. While police report significant injuries among their ranks and infiltration by 'ultra-violent groups,' student unions and left-wing politicians have accused the police of disproportionate force and repression.

France has suspended the use of 'anti-encirclement' stun grenades in student protests following an incident where a 15-year-old lost his hand. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez requested the pause pending further investigation into the Lens incident. The protests, which involve hundreds of thousands of students and unions, focus on school conditions but have been marked by violent clashes, arson, and hundreds of arrests. While police report significant injuries among their ranks and infiltration by 'ultra-violent groups,' student unions and left-wing politicians have accused the police of disproportionate force and repression.