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French Teen's Hand Blown Off in School Protest Clash
Confirmed
In Short: A 15-year-old's hand was blown off during a confrontation between police and protesters near a school in Lens, France.
A 15-year-old boy's hand was blown off during a confrontation between police and protesters near a school in Lens, France, on Monday morning, according to the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch.
The incident occurred near the Auguste Béhal high school, where a larger-than-usual gathering of students had assembled, throwing stones, fireworks, and mortars at local police.
Lauch said that the teenager was quickly transferred to a nearby hospital, and his life was not in danger.
Regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord reported that the boy lost his hand after picking up a police stun grenade.
The prefect said that instructions were given to deploy a company of riot police (CRS) to maintain order, leading to the event.
A regional prosecutor announced that an investigation would be carried out by the French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN), to shed light on the incident.
Around 500 schools were partially or totally closed across the country on Monday amid student protests over the condition of school buildings and staffing.
The protests have put pressure on the government, which is trying to narrow a budget deficit amid growing investor concerns about state finances.
BFMTV showed images of police and students clashing in Lille, tear gas being used in Toulouse, and a fire being lit as people tried to break into a school in central Paris.
The protests have also drawn political attention, with accusations from the government and the far-right National Rally that hard-left France Unbowed lawmakers and mayors are stoking the protests.
In response to the incident, a listening and support unit has been set up at the affected school.
What this adds
The investigation by the IGPN aims to clarify the circumstances under which the teenager lost his hand.
What's confirmed
- A 15-year-old boy's hand was blown off during a confrontation between police and protesters near a school in Lens, France, on Monday morning, according to the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch.
- The incident occurred near the Auguste Béhal high school, where a larger-than-usual gathering of students had assembled, throwing stones, fireworks, and mortars at local police.
- Lauch said that the teenager was quickly transferred to a nearby hospital, and his life was not in danger.
- Regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord reported that the boy lost his hand after picking up a police stun grenade.
- The prefect said that instructions were given to deploy a company of riot police (CRS) to maintain order, leading to the event.
- A regional prosecutor announced that an investigation would be carried out by the French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN), to shed light on the incident.
- Around 500 schools were partially or totally closed across the country on Monday amid student protests over the condition of school buildings and staffing.
- The protests have put pressure on the government, which is trying to narrow a budget deficit amid growing investor concerns about state finances.
- BFMTV showed images of police and students clashing in Lille, tear gas being used in Toulouse, and a fire being lit as people tried to break into a school in central Paris.
- The protests have also drawn political attention, with accusations from the government and the far-right National Rally that hard-left France Unbowed lawmakers and mayors are stoking the protests.
- In response to the incident, a listening and support unit has been set up at the affected school.
What's still developing
- "Like you, and like many others, I have seen some videos showing the aftermath. But I did not see how the operation was organised, either by the police or by the students," he told French media.
- "At the start of the morning, they threw various projectiles at the local police officers who were on site initially. When I say projectiles, I mean stones, fireworks, and mortars," he told French media.
- The protests have put more pressure on a government trying to narrow a budget deficit as investor concerns about states' finances grow, briefly pushing the yield on France's 10-year bonds to a 24-year high over 5% last week and raising the likely cost of future borrowing.