How did a protest lead to a teenager’s hand being blown off?published at 10:09 BST
10:09 BST
Image source, Reuters
On Monday, a 15-year-old’s hand was blown off, reportedly by a sting-ball grenade, following confrontation between students and police in the northern town of Lens.
The prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch, said the student’s life was “not in danger”, but described the incident as “very serious”.
Lauch told French media that riot police were deployed after students near Auguste Béhal high school threw stones, fireworks, and mortars at police.
The non-lethal weapon is used by riot police for crowd control management, and there are conflicting accounts on whether the boy picked up the grenade.
A regional prosecutor said an investigation would be carried out by the French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN).
This is not the first injury sustained in recent protests. Last week, a 14-year-old was reportedly struck in the head with a tear gas canister and suffered a jaw fracture.
A 16-year-old boy named Mael also lost use of his right eye during the blockade of Balzac High School in the central town of Tours.
The government says 215 students have been injured since the protests began with more than 500 schools closed and demonstrations expected to remain ongoing.