French Interior Minister “Laurent Nuñez” announced on Wednesday the suspension of the use of stun grenades during protests by high school students, following an incident that resulted in the hand of a 15-year-old protester being amputated.
“Nuñez” said in remarks to French radio station “RTL”: “I am suspending their use during high school student protests until the facts surrounding the circumstances of this case are clarified.”
The minister added that the General Inspectorate of the National Police has so far opened investigations into 18 cases, at a time when protesters continue to express their opposition to what they describe as the excessive use of force by security forces.
In the same context, the office of French Prime Minister “Sébastien Lecornu” announced that he would deliver a public address on Wednesday evening regarding the student protests and a number of other issues, including public finances.
“Lecornu’s” office explained that the address would also cover “the situation in high schools, fuel prices, the agricultural crisis, as well as the country’s financial situation.”
Students are protesting the deteriorating condition of school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, and a shortage of teachers, including cases where substitutes are not provided for them. The protesters intend to organize new demonstrations tomorrow, Thursday, despite the government’s call for them to return to schools and open a dialogue.
Tens of thousands took to the streets across France on Tuesday to demand improved conditions in high schools, prompting President “Emmanuel Macron” to hold an emergency meeting with the prime minister and a number of relevant ministers to discuss ways of addressing the crisis.
The Interior Ministry announced that around 256,000 protesters participated in Tuesday’s demonstrations across France, including students, teachers, parents, and union members, with 56,000 of them in Paris. Organizers, meanwhile, estimated the nationwide turnout at around 450,000, including 100,000 in the capital.
A total of 215 students have been injured since the protest movement began on September 17 in the Paris region, before the protests spread to other French cities.
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Author: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi.
Publication Date: October 7, 2026.
Updated: October 2026.
