France suspends police grenades at student protests

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police would suspend stun-grenade use at high-school student protests until authorities clarify how a 15-year-old was injured when a grenade exploded in Lens on Monday. The student lost a hand, according to reports, prompting the temporary measure announced Wednesday. Nuñez told RTL that the suspension applies only to high-school protests and will remain in place until the circumstances of the incident are understood. Accounts of what happened immediately before the explosion differ: one report, citing a police union source, said the teenager picked up the grenade after police fired it. The available accounts do not establish an independently confirmed sequence of events. The injury occurred amid demonstrations that began in late September over school conditions. Students have complained of dilapidated facilities and teacher shortages, as well as overcrowded classrooms and problems maintaining comfortable temperatures. Some have also raised concerns about long school days. Protests have spread across France, with students blocking or disrupting access to hundreds of high schools.