Serious injury at a school protest in Lens

During a school protest in France, a 15-year-old student lost a hand in the city of Lens. Pas-de-Calais Governor François-Xavier Lauch described the incident, which took place Monday morning, as “very serious,” adding that the student was not in life-threatening condition and was quickly taken to a nearby hospital.

The incident was reported to have taken place near Auguste Béhal High School in Lens. According to the governor, a larger group of students than on previous days gathered outside the school, and in the morning they threw stones, fireworks and mortar-type explosives at police officers in the area. Riot police from the CRS were then deployed to restore public order.

How the injury happened is still unclear

French media carried conflicting accounts of how the student was injured. A police union source quoted by AFP claimed the explosion occurred when the student picked up a sting-ball grenade thrown by riot police from the ground. By contrast, a teenage girl who said she was with the student told the regional newspaper La Voix du Nord that the student had not picked up the explosive.

Lens Mayor Sylvain Robert said the circumstances of the incident had not yet been clarified. The prosecutor’s office said the investigation would be carried out by the National Police General Inspectorate (IGPN), the internal watchdog for the French police.

School switched to remote learning

After the incident, school administrators announced that in-person classes had been suspended for security reasons and lessons would continue online. They also said a support and listening unit had been set up on campus for students and staff.

As protests continued across France, around 500 schools were partially or fully closed on Monday. Education officials said 589 institutions had been affected by the demonstrations that day, down from 735 the previous Friday.

Students’ main demands

  • Addressing shortages of teachers and staff
  • Reducing overcrowded classrooms
  • Improving run-down school buildings

Protests spread nationwide

Student protests that began in Paris in late September quickly spread across the country. What started as demonstrations by high school students was soon joined by university students with similar demands.

According to the Education Ministry, at least 190 students have been injured since the protests began. Last week, a 14-year-old student in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône was struck in the head by a tear gas canister and underwent major surgery; an investigation has also been opened into that incident.

AFP reported that more than 5,000 people have been arrested since the movement began, about 85% of them minors. With new calls for protests on Tuesday, the French government said it would set up a broad consultation platform where students could report the problems they are facing.