Nationwide student protests over school building conditions and staffing have led to severe injuries, including a 15-year-old boy in Lens who lost his hand during a confrontation with police.
Key points
- A 15-year-old student in Lens suffered a severe hand injury and arm wounds when a grenade exploded, though reports differ on whether he picked up the device or if it was thrown directly at him.
- The French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police, has launched an investigation into the Lens incident.
- In Marseille, another 15-year-old was placed in detention and charged with an act of barbarie after using an inflamed spray to burn a woman's face during separate demonstrations.
- Approximately 500 schools were partially or totally closed across France as student protests continued.
Why it matters
The escalation of student protests into severe injuries and violent clashes highlights growing social tensions over the state of French educational infrastructure and policing tactics.
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