France suspended the use of stun grenades against protesters as allegations of student brutality draw more anger. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the country could not ignore students’ concerns.
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.”
What led to the focus on ‘sting ball grenades?’
Nunez announced the measure to curb growing anger after reports of serious injuries to teenage protesters drew public anger.
On Monday, a 15-year-old lost his hand after picking up a particular type of police stun grenade, a sting ball grenade, that then detonated before he could throw it back.
Last week, a 14-year-old student in northwest Paris was hit in the jaw as a tear gas canister was fired during protests. The officer was charged on Tuesday.
