A 15-year-old boy lost a hand in northern France on Monday after picking up a police grenade as student protests over deteriorating school conditions intensified across the country.
The teenager was injured in Lens after apparently picking up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot police, according to a police union source. The device exploded in his hand.
The incident occurred as students continued demonstrations demanding improved classroom conditions, with protests disrupting lessons at hundreds of schools across France.
While some students returned to their classrooms on Monday, others maintained blockades outside schools ahead of larger demonstrations expected on Tuesday, which a secondary school students’ union has described as “Act III” of the protest movement.
More than 400 of France’s roughly 3,700 high schools, known as lycées, were partially or completely closed on Monday morning, according to the Education Ministry.
The protests, which began in September, have been driven by complaints over teacher shortages, overcrowded timetables, deteriorating school buildings and facilities poorly equipped to cope with rising temperatures.
“It’s clear the education system isn’t working,” Alma, a student at Lycée Charlemagne in central Paris, told AFP.
At the same school, another student, Simon, said the demonstrations reflected longstanding frustration among pupils.
“They think that just because they’re letting us express ourselves on a platform, on the internet, we’ll stop blocking access and being angry, but this anger has been here for years,” he said.
In Paris, dozens of students demonstrated outside schools while some others entered classrooms for lessons. At Turgot High School, one placard read: “We’re missing our lessons to give you one.”
In Bordeaux, some students returned to class while others demonstrated outside in the presence of riot police. At the Gustave Eiffel High School, protesters reportedly set off fireworks towards police, who responded with tear gas. The situation was otherwise described as largely calm.
The unrest began on September 17 at a high school in the Paris suburb of Créteil, initially in support of teachers protesting staff shortages and inadequate resources. It subsequently spread to other parts of the country.
Some demonstrations have escalated into vandalism and confrontations with security forces, including the destruction of bus shelters and fires at school entrances.
According to the Education Minister, 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since the protests began, while more than 5,000 people have been arrested. About 85 per cent of those arrested are minors.
The French Human Rights League has criticised the police response, accusing security forces of using disproportionate methods against protesters, many of whom are children.
“We can see that in the instructions given to the police, there is no directive to show restraint, even though they are dealing with children,” the organisation’s president, Nathalie Tehio, said.
Internal investigations have also been opened into at least three reported cases of alleged police brutality.
The protests come months before France’s 2027 elections, which will determine President Emmanuel Macron’s successor.
The government has pledged to address some of the students’ concerns while accusing hard-left activists of attempting to take control of the movement.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Sunday urged local authorities to prioritise filling vacancies caused by long-term teacher absences and unfilled positions.
He also scheduled a meeting with regional presidents on Tuesday to discuss plans to renovate and improve France’s ageing school infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the government is backing legislation that would make people responsible for damaging public property liable for repair costs rather than leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon defended the proposal, arguing that parents could bear responsibility when minors deliberately damage public property.
Lecornu has said compensation could potentially be recovered from family allowances and housing benefits, while maintaining a minimum income threshold for affected families.
The proposal has drawn criticism from labour leaders, with CGT union chief Sophie Binet describing it as a “populist announcement” that could disproportionately affect vulnerable families.
