Protester's hand blown off by police grenade at nationwide cost-of-living protests in France
A protester lost a hand to a police crowd-control grenade on Saturday, 17 October, as nationwide demonstrations in France over the cost of living and school conditions turned violent. The CGT, France's biggest trade union, says more than half a million people are taking part.
Nationwide demonstrations against the high cost of living and conditions in schools are under way in France on Saturday, 17 October 2026, and have turned violent. A protester's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade.
According to the CGT, France's biggest trade union, more than half a million people are taking part in the protests across the country. This figure is the union's own estimate. The source gives no official or independent count.
The demonstrations are taking place in several parts of the country. One image from the source was taken in Bordeaux, in southwestern France, where a protester held a French flag during a march against the "high cost of living".
The source does not say where exactly the grenade incident happened, how many other people were injured, or how the police have explained it. It also gives no information on arrests.
The events are being covered in a live blog by the international news channel France 24, drawing on reporting from the AFP, AP and Reuters news agencies.
