France has suspended the use of stun grenades in high school protests after a teenager lost his hand to one fired by police, meanwhile on Wednesday some schools remained closed, and students vowed to continue their action.
Many high schools across France will remain closed for the rest of the week as student leaders say they are planning ‘act four’ of the protests on Thursday.
Meanwhile the Interior Minister has announced the suspension of the use of stun grenades by police at the protests after a series of injuries of the 15-18-year-old students.
“I am suspending their use for the high school students’ movement” until there was more clarity on what happened, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told radio broadcaster RTL.
A 15-year-old boy in Lens, northern France, had his hand blown off by a police grenade on Monday, while another officer caught on camera firing a tear gas grenade launcher at the face of a 14-year-old boy in Paris – the officer has since been charged.
A further 18 internal police probes have been launched over allegations of brutality during the demonstrations.
More than 250,000 people took to the streets across France on Tuesday demanding better conditions in lycées (high schools), which prompted President Emmanuel Macron to hold an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and other key ministers to find a way out of the crisis.
READ ALSO: Explained: What are French students protesting about?
Parents, teachers and union workers joined the demonstrations in the capital Paris and other cities Tuesday, amid accusations of police using disproportionate force.
Sporadic violent clashes have broken out between police and protesters at what otherwise have been largely peaceful demonstrations.
Lecornu on Tuesday condemned the violence and told lawmakers the violence would not be tolerated, while also rejecting accusations that the government had ordered “police repression” against protesters.
More than 6,500 people, mostly minors, have been arrested.
Lecornu will make a public address on Wednesday evening on the school protests roiling the country and other issues including the country’s finances, his office said.
Classes have been suspended at around 500 of France’s roughly 2,500 lycées on Wednesday, with the government calling for days of “internal democracy” between staff and students.
Student leaders say they intend to hold another day of blockades at schools on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Analysis: Are French lycées really all that bad?
