A 15‑year‑old boy’s hand was blown off during a confrontation between French police and student demonstrators near a school in Lens, north‑east France, the prefect of Pas‑de‑Calais confirmed.
Officials described the incident as "very serious" and noted that the teenager was transferred rapidly to a hospital. Hospitals were already on high alert with many students facing arrangements for distance learning amid the wider students’ protests that have shut about 500 schools across the country.
Local media and the prefect released conflicting accounts of how the injury occurred. The regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord reported that the teendom lost a hand after picking up a police stun grenade. No official statement regarding the exact chain of events has yet been released.
The policeman watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN), has announced it will carry out an investigation into the blast to shed light on the circumstances. The incident happened close to the Auguste Béhal high school, with the Prefect saying that a larger crowd had gathered outside the school than in previous days.
At the start of the morning, protesters threw stones, fireworks and mortars at police officers already on site. Police were reinforced by the riot unit (CRS) under orders from the national police director and the Prefect’s approval. The event underscores the growing tensions between students demanding better educational resources and the authorities trying to maintain order.
The school issued a statement announcing a switch to distance learning from that morning and noted it had set up a listening and support unit for anyone affected by the disturbances.
