Severe injuries at French student protests prompt scrutiny of police tactics
France has seen more than two weeks of student protests over school conditions, with several minors seriously hurt by police weapons. Rights groups again urge a ban on rubber bullets and grenade launchers.
A wave of student protests over conditions in French schools, now in its third week, has left several minors seriously injured and revived debate over the "less lethal" weapons used by police, such as rubber bullets and grenade launchers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called the demonstrations the most violent in decades.
The case of 14-year-old Eden
His parents and family lawyer Elsa Marcel say Eden, 14, suffered a broken jaw and smashed teeth last week in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône when a tear gas canister was fired at him from close range. According to the lawyer, he was sitting on a wall looking at his phone, metres from the protest. The local prosecutor's account is that one officer struck him with a baton and he responded with a kick, after which a second officer fired a grenade from a Cougar launcher. The officer told prosecutors he was protecting himself and colleagues.
The family has filed a complaint for attempted murder. On Tuesday, eight days after the incident, the officer was placed under formal investigation for assault by a public official causing permanent disability or disfigurement. It is one of 24 cases under investigation by the IGPN, the internal police watchdog.
Other cases and the weapons debate
Reuters has documented 28 cases of injuries from police force. In two, an eye was lost or injured by rubber bullets, and in Lens a 15-year-old lost his hand, likely to a stun grenade, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who has paused stun grenade use pending an inquiry. Nuñez said about 200 students were injured, but very rarely by police action. Authorities say 700 officers were hurt and 6,877 people, mostly minors, were arrested.
Policing researcher Sebastian Roche of the French National Centre for Scientific Research says France stands out in Europe for using such weapons. Rights groups and some politicians want them banned, while police unions argue that without them officers would be left with only lethal force.
