French school protests continue as teenager loses hand near police

A 15-year-old boy lost a hand near a school in northern France on Monday during a confrontation between police and student protesters, as demonstrations over staffing and classroom conditions disrupted hundreds of schools. The circumstances of his injury remain disputed, and a police watchdog investigation is planned.

Pas-de-Calais prefect François-Xavier Lauch called the incident in Lens “very serious” but said the boy’s life was not in danger. The teenager was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, he said.

AFP, citing a police union source, reported that the boy appeared to have picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot police, which exploded in his hand. But regional newspaper La Voix du Nord quoted a girl who said she was nearby as disputing that account. “He didn’t pick it up. I was there, I saw it,” she said. Lens Mayor Sylvain Robert said the circumstances still needed to be clarified. A regional prosecutor said the General Inspection of the National Police would investigate.

The injury occurred near the Auguste Béhal high school. Lauch said a larger group of students than on previous days had gathered outside and thrown stones and fireworks at officers before riot police were deployed. The school switched to distance learning and set up a support unit, according to the BBC.

France’s education ministry said more than 400 of the country’s 3,700 high schools were partially or fully closed Monday morning. Education Minister Edouard Geffray had estimated Sunday that 400 to 500 would be affected. Student unions called for nationwide demonstrations Tuesday.

The movement began Sept. 17 at a school in the Paris suburb of Créteil in support of teachers striking over shortages of staff and resources, CBS News reported. Students have since blocked school entrances across France, citing absent teachers, crowded timetables and deteriorating buildings. A 17-year-old protester, Bilal Narjissi, told CBS News his school had a rat infestation. Students at a Paris school told Al Jazeera they often lacked teachers for subjects including maths and English, and were demonstrating in solidarity with students at less well-equipped schools.

Some students returned to class Monday, while others continued protesting. In Lille, masked protesters damaged bus shelters and set fire to bins as police fired tear gas, CBS News reported. Al Jazeera reported that a masked group attacked another Paris school, where a fire was extinguished and classes were suspended.

Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or ransacked and 78 teaching staff injured since the protests began, according to Al Jazeera. The BBC reported that Geffray put the number of injured students at at least 190. About 5,000 people, most of them teenagers, have been arrested; CBS News reported that 85% were minors.

The French Human Rights League accused security forces Monday of using disproportionate methods against protesters, many of them minors. Student leader Daphnee Die told CBS News she understood students’ frustration but warned that the violence was becoming dangerous.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the priority was to “restore order,” Al Jazeera reported. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has urged local authorities to address long-term teacher absences and unfilled posts, and called a Tuesday meeting with regional leaders about school buildings. The government is also pursuing legislation to make those responsible for property damage pay for repairs, a proposal criticized by CGT labor union leader Sophie Binet as likely to target vulnerable families.