France Halts Police Stun Grenade Use Amid Nationwide Student Protests

France has temporarily prohibited police from using stun grenades during student-led demonstrations following mounting accusations of excessive force and severe injuries among teenage protesters. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the operational suspension on Wednesday via RTL radio, coming directly after hundreds of thousands of high schoolers and labor supporters staged massive nationwide marches demanding increased funding for education and better learning conditions.

The directive follows several high-profile injuries, including a 15-year-old student who lost a hand from a blast in the northern city of Lens and a 14-year-old who lost multiple teeth after being struck by a close-range tear gas canister in Paris. Nunez confirmed that authorities have initiated 18 internal investigations into alleged officer misconduct. According to government figures, law enforcement has arrested 6,100 people—predominantly minors—with 1,483 minors currently facing prosecution. Official tallies report at least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers injured in intermittent clashes.

The unrest began in late September as secondary students established blockades at hundreds of high schools across the country. Demonstrators cited severe teacher shortages, crumbling school infrastructure, and persistent budget deficits, eventually drawing the support of major trade unions and parent associations. While rights groups have strongly denounced the state's security response against youth, government officials maintain that disruptive outside agitators hijacked the assemblies and transformed peaceful civil actions into sporadic urban unrest.

President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency cabinet meeting with senior ministers to defuse the growing domestic crisis. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who rejected claims of systematic police repression while firmly condemning violent street disorder, is scheduled to deliver a major public address covering both school funding solutions and France's broader budgetary outlook.