France is suspending the use of stun grenades at student-led protests as people report allegations of police brutality at demonstrations that have widened over the weeks.
“I am suspending their use in the high school student protests until the facts of the incident have been clarified,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told RTL radio broadcaster on Wednesday.
He emphasized that the suspension was “only for the high school student protests” and for “just long enough to understand what happened.”
Nunez announced the measure to curb growing anger after reports about teenagers having lost their hands or teeth during protests drew anger.
French regional newspaper La Voix du Nord reported this Monday that a 15-year-old had his hand and a part of his lower arm blown off after picking up a police stun grenade that then detonated during protests.
Last week, a 14-year-old student in northwest Paris was hit in the jaw as a tear gas canister was fired during protests, with the officer having been charged on Tuesday.
The order also comes before an address by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to protesters later Wednesday evening.
More to follow.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
