Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across France on Tuesday, plunging the European regime into a deep domestic crisis as educational institutions and urban centers became sites of intense clashes. The widespread unrest, which initially began with high school pupils, has rapidly drawn in university students, parents, and labor unions demanding urgent reforms to school conditions.

In an effort to contain public outrage, the French interior ministry purportedly suspended the use of stun grenades for policing student demonstrations. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez claimed the pause would remain in effect until the facts surrounding a horrific incident in Lens are thoroughly 'clarified.' In that episode, a 15-year-old boy reportedly had his hand blown off by an anti-encirclement grenade, though conflicting accounts from authorities and student groups leave the official narrative highly contested.

The disruption persisted into Wednesday, with over 500 schools completely or partially shut down as the crisis escalated. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron held emergency consultations to find a way out of the deadlock, amid growing fears of further escalation. The interior ministry admitted that thousands of individuals have been arrested or detained since the protests began in mid-September, alongside hundreds of reported injuries among both security forces and students.

Allegations of disproportionate and brutal police tactics continue to stoke societal friction across the country. In addition to the severe injuries sustained by teenagers—including a 14-year-old who reportedly lost teeth from a tear gas canister—prosecutors opened an attempted murder investigation after a 17-year-old protester alleged an officer attempted to drown him by holding his head underwater during an arrest.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk