15-Year-Old Injured by Police Grenade in French Protests, Thairath Reports
A 15-year-old French student suffered severe injuries, including the partial loss of his hand and lower arm, after a police dispersal munition exploded during high school protests in Lens, according to Thairath.
Student Severe Injury Sparks Clashes in Lens
The 15-year-old boy was severely injured outside the Auguste Béhal school in the northern French city of Lens, according to Thairath. Sourced reports from local newspaper La Voix du Nord state that the student picked up a dispersal grenade deployed by police before it detonated. While regional police sources claimed the teenager reached for a sting-ball grenade thrown by riot police (CRS), eyewitnesses cited by Thairath countered that the student never touched the device. Local prosecutors have ordered an investigation by the National Police Inspectorate (IGPN).
French Schools Close as Arrests Climb
The unrest has forced the closure or partial suspension of classes at roughly 400 to 500 schools across France, according to figures released by the Ministry of Education. Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated that at least 24 schools have been burned or vandalized since the movement began in Paris in September. The Ministry of Justice reported that authorities have arrested 5,060 people since the demonstrations started, with 87 percent of those detained being minors, and over 1,800 individuals facing formal legal proceedings.
Clashing Accounts Over Police Tactics and Protester Conduct
Human rights organizations have accused law enforcement of deploying excessive force against youthful demonstrators, utilizing batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Ongoing investigations include a 16-year-old student named Campian who suffered severe eye injuries from a police rubber bullet in Saint-Denis, alongside a previous incident where a 14-year-old named Eden suffered a fractured jaw after being struck by a tear gas canister.
Political Repercussions and Fiscal Pressures on Paris
The protests have amplified pressure on the French government as it struggles to manage budget deficits amid investor anxiety over national finances, which previously drove 10-year government bond yields above five percent. Left-wing political figures, including Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed (LFI) party—who characterized the youth movement as the most powerful since 1968—rejected government accusations of instigating violence and accused authorities of politicizing the unrest. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu scheduled meetings with regional leaders to address deteriorating facilities and announced plans for a legislative bill on October 27 to hold juveniles and their parents financially liable for property destruction, alongside a planned national student feedback platform aimed at resolving core grievances.
