France halts use of stun grenades after boy's hand blown off in student protests

Several groups have complained of police using disproportionate force towards teenagers.

France has suspended the use of stun grenades for policing student protests that have swept the country, after a 15-year-old's hand was blown off earlier this week.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he had requested the pause until the facts of Monday's incident in Lens had been "clarified", with conflicting accounts offered by protesters and officials.

The disruption continued on Wednesday with more than 500 schools fully or partially shut, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to speak about the school protests in an evening address.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Tuesday to call for better school conditions and in some cities tear gas and water cannon were deployed. The interior ministry said 488 people were arrested and 43 members of the security forces were hurt.

Source: The Star