French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the government’s response to recent student protests, where one teenager lost a hand and another lost sight in one eye due to police action. On Tuesday in parliament, Lecornu rejected claims of police brutality, arguing that incidents were accidental and justified by protesters' violent actions. He noted over 6,500 arrests and hundreds of injuries since the demonstrations began in mid-September. The prime minister also accused opposition parties of exploiting the protests for political gain ahead of next year’s election.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A 15-year-old student protesting against understaffed and dilapidated schools in France lost his hand on Monday after picking up a police stun grenade in Lens, a northern town. The incident occurred during ongoing protests that have led to hundreds of school closures nationwide. About 400 to 500 high schools out of the total 3,700 were fully or partially closed as part of these demonstrations.
The protests began over teacher shortages and poor classroom conditions in late September and have since spread across France. According to French education minister Edouard Geffray, around 215 students and 715 police officers have been injured in the clashes so far. The government is facing pressure from both students and investors as protests continue ahead of upcoming elections expected next year.
François-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, reported that approximately 200 to 250 protesters were throwing objects at police during the latest unrest. The incident has drawn criticism over police tactics dealing with children involved in civil disobedience. As these protests escalate, they have raised concerns about state finances and investor confidence, pushing France’s 10-year bond yields to a 24-year high above five percent last week.
Written for “France School Protests Injuries” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the police response to student protests after one teenager lost a hand in an incident involving a police grenade and another lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile.
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another → defend → projectile
In parliament on Tuesday, Lecornu pushed back on accusations of police brutality or state repression, adding that the term "police brutality" implies that officers had been instructed to use force, according to Politico.
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officers → push → Politico
"What triggers police action is the occurrence of urban violence," Lecornu said.
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Lecornu → trigger → violence
"Can accidents happen?
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accidents → happen → ?
The answer is yes," he added.
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he → add → ?
Lecornu and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez have both argued that the police response was sparked by urban violence, arson and vandalism, while maintaining that officers have acted within their authority.
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officers → argue → authority
Nuñez also called the police response proportionate in "almost all cases."
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Nuñez → call → cases
The prime minister also accused opposition party France Unbowed of exploiting the student protests to sow chaos and score political points ahead of next year’s presidential election.
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minister → accuse → election
President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting with senior ministers to address the nationwide student protests and their potential political fallout.
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Macron → convene → protests
The French government is facing mounting pressure after more than 6,500 people were arrested and hundreds were injured as students demand better funding and learning conditions in schools.
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students → face → schools
Most of those arrested were minors, according to the Associated Press.
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Most → arrest → Press
Lecornu said 215 students and 85 school staff members had been injured since the protests began, while his office said 715 police officers had also been injured.
"I hope we can provide a political response to a very real anxiety among high school students," Lecornu acknowledged.
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Lecornu → say → students
As Lecornu delivered his remarks on Tuesday, demonstrators from several French unions and teachers’ groups gathered with high school and university students.
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demonstrators → deliver → students
Members of France’s left-wing parties were also at the protest, according to Politico.
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Members → accord → Politico
The Interior Ministry estimated that 266,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide Tuesday, including 56,000 in Paris.
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people → estimate → Paris
The Paris demonstration was largely peaceful, although smaller groups later clashed with riot police, according to the Associated Press.
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groups → clash → Press
The protesters' movement began at high schools in the Paris region in mid-September before spreading nationwide.
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movement → begin → September
On Monday, a 15-year-old boy in northern France lost a hand after a police grenade exploded during the protests, Politico reported.
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Politico → lose → protests
A prosecutor said he could not "say for certain whether the student picked up the grenade or whether it was thrown at him."
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it → say → him
In the city of Tours, a 16-year-old lost sight in one eye after being hit by a projectile, according to the outlet.
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old → lose → outlet
The prosecutor said the projectile may have been fired from a sub-lethal riot-control weapon used by police.
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projectile → say → police
Boris Vallaud, leader of the center-left Socialist group in parliament, said the group's lawmakers would introduce legislation restricting the use of sub-lethal riot-control weapons at student demonstrations, warning that they can cause irreversible injuries, the outlet reported.
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outlet → say → injuries
The Aporia
