France pauses stun grenades at high-school protests

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Wednesday he had temporarily suspended police use of stun grenades at high-school protests, pending clarification of how a 15-year-old was severely injured during a demonstration in Lens on Monday. The pause applies to high-school protests; officials have not specified how long it will last beyond tying it to establishing the facts of the Lens incident. The teenager’s mother said his hand had been amputated. Accounts of how he was injured differ, and the available information does not establish what happened. Authorities said he picked up a grenade before it exploded, while students alleged that an officer fired it directly at him. His mother said he had not tried to pick it up. Nuñez also said police had opened 18 internal investigations into alleged misconduct during the protests, including cases involving serious injuries. The announcement follows days of demonstrations over conditions in schools, with complaints including teacher shortages, deteriorating buildings and demands for more education funding.