Teenager severely injured in hand during French school protests
A 15-year-old boy lost a hand in a clash between police and protesters during school demonstrations in northeastern France, with authorities launching an investigation. Nationwide, roughly 500 schools were partly or fully closed on Monday due to the unrest.
A serious incident occurred Monday morning in the northeastern French city of Lens, where a 15-year-old boy lost a hand during clashes between police and protesting students, according to a statement from local authorities cited by the BBC.
Pas-de-Calais prefect François-Xavier Lauch described the event as a "very serious incident" and confirmed the teenager's life is not in danger, noting he was quickly taken to hospital.
Conflicting accounts
French media have given differing explanations for how the injury occurred. Regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord reported that the boy was hurt after picking up a police stun grenade. Lens mayor Sylvain Robert said the exact circumstances still need to be established. The regional prosecutor's office said the case will be investigated by the General Inspectorate of the National Police to fully clarify what happened.
Nationwide unrest
The incident took place amid broader student protests — on Monday, about 500 schools across France were partly or fully closed. Students have been voicing frustration over class schedules, large class sizes, a shortage of teachers, and overcrowded classrooms, an issue made worse by a summer heatwave.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday that more than 5,000 people had been detained in connection with the school protests, with around 85% of them minors.
