A 15-year-old student suffered a severe injury, losing his hand during a confrontation between high school protesters and riot police in the northern French city of Lens on Monday, BBC reported. The incident occurred as nationwide student demonstrations over rundown facilities and teacher shortages entered a third week, prompting the closure or partial suspension of hundreds of schools across France.
Investigators Probe How Teenager Was Injured by Grenade
The teenager sustained the injury near the Auguste-Behal vocational high school on Monday. Pas-de-Calais prefect Francois-Xavier Lauch stated that the student’s life is not in danger, Al Jazeera reported. Police union sources claimed that the youth attempted to pick up a rubber sting-ball or “de-encirclement” grenade fired by riot police to throw it back before it detonated in his hand.
Public prosecutors noted that investigators have yet to definitively establish whether the teenager picked up the device or if it landed directly on him. The case has been referred to police internal affairs, marking one of multiple active investigations into serious injuries sustained during the ongoing student mobilizations.
School Closures Spread as Protesters Cite Poor Conditions
Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that lessons would be totally or partly suspended in 400 to 500 schools on Monday because security conditions had not been fulfilled, The Guardian reported. Figures reported by Le Monde indicated that 589 schools experienced disruptions on Monday, down from 735 on Friday.
The demonstrations began on September 17 at a high school in a Parisian suburb before spreading nationwide. Protesters cite overcrowded classes of up to 40 children in crumbling buildings, severe teacher shortages, and inadequate pay. Data from the education ministry shows that nearly 10% of teaching hours in public secondary education went untaught during the 2024–25 academic year, according to The Week.
Scale of Unrest and Property Damage
The unrest has placed pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist administration and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Government officials report that 24 schools have been burned or ransacked, and 78 education staff members have been injured since the movement began.
| Metric | Reported Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Total Arrests | 5,000+ | Mostly minors |
| School Disruptions | 589 schools | Recorded on Monday by Le Monde figures |
| Injured Staff | 78 teachers and staff | Targeted during recent blockades |
| Injured Students | 190 students | Documented since the protests began |
Education Minister Geffray asserted that political activists, particularly from the far left, had infiltrated the high school student movement and hijacked it from students to engage in extreme violence. Meanwhile, student unions have maintained their position, calling for renewed national demonstrations on Tuesday after talks with the education ministry failed to produce concrete measures.
