France Suspends Stun Grenade Use by Police Amid Escalating Student Protest Crisis

France has temporarily suspended the use of stun grenades by police at student-led demonstrations across the country, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on Wednesday, as the government scrambles to contain a growing crisis over education funding and alleged police brutality.

The decision came one day after hundreds of thousands of students, parents, teachers, and union members marched in cities nationwide to demand increased funding for education and improved conditions in French high schools. The scale of Tuesday's demonstrations prompted President Emmanuel Macron to convene an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and other senior ministers in an effort to defuse the escalating situation.

Nunez confirmed the suspension during an early morning interview with radio broadcaster RTL, saying police would no longer deploy stun grenades at the protests while the government reassesses its approach to crowd control. The move marks a significant concession to critics who have accused authorities of using excessive force, particularly against minors.

The announcement followed two high-profile injuries that have intensified public outrage. On Monday, a 15-year-old demonstrator lost a hand in the northern city of Lens after police fired a stun grenade. In a separate incident, a 14-year-old student was struck in the face by a tear gas grenade at such close range that he lost several teeth — an episode that led to a police officer being charged on Tuesday in Paris.

Nunez revealed that police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct since the protests began late last month. Rights organizations, student groups, and parents' associations have repeatedly accused authorities of disproportionate force against young people, many of whom are minors. The government, however, maintains that the protest movement has been infiltrated by outside agitators and has morphed into sporadic urban violence.

According to the Interior Ministry, approximately 6,100 people have been arrested since the demonstrations started in late September, with the overwhelming majority being minors. The Justice Ministry reported that more than 1,800 individuals are being prosecuted, including 1,483 minors, though it did not specify the nature of the alleged crimes.

The human toll has been substantial on both sides. At least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have been injured in clashes, according to figures released by Lecornu's office. These numbers underscore the intensity of confrontations that have erupted amid what have otherwise been largely peaceful marches.

The protests originated in late September when students began blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools serving 15- to 17-year-olds. Their grievances centered on dilapidated school facilities, chronic teacher shortages, and insufficient government funding for education. What began as localized school blockades quickly expanded into a broader national movement, drawing support from parents, educators, and labor unions.

By Tuesday, the movement had reached a critical mass, with massive crowds taking to the streets of Paris and other major cities. While most demonstrations proceeded peacefully, sporadic violent clashes broke out between police and pockets of protesters, leading to the injuries and arrests that have dominated headlines in recent days.

Lecornu addressed the situation on Tuesday, condemning the violence while rejecting accusations that his government had ordered "police repression" against demonstrators. He told lawmakers that violent acts would not be tolerated but insisted the state was not engaged in systematic suppression of peaceful protest.

The prime minister is scheduled to deliver a public address later on Wednesday covering both the school protests and the country's broader financial situation. His office confirmed the speech would touch on the government's response to the crisis and its fiscal outlook.

The suspension of stun grenades represents a tactical shift by French authorities, who have faced mounting international scrutiny over their handling of youth-led demonstrations. The use of such weapons — designed to disorient rather than kill — has been a particular flashpoint, given the severity of injuries sustained by teenagers in recent days.

The crisis poses a significant political challenge for Macron's administration, which must balance public order concerns against the demands of a generation of students frustrated by what they describe as years of neglect in the education system. The involvement of unions and parents' groups has broadened the movement's appeal, making it harder for the government to dismiss as a fringe phenomenon.

As Lecornu prepares to address the nation, all eyes will be on whether the suspension of stun grenades marks the beginning of a de-escalation strategy or merely a temporary pause in an increasingly volatile standoff between the state and its youngest citizens.