France has suspended the use of stun grenades following an incident in which a boy's hand was blown off during student protests, according to the BBC. The decision was reported on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The protests have centered on conditions in French schools. Reuters reported that police fired teargas during the demonstrations, which it described as causing the heaviest toll in decades. Dawn reported that hundreds of people were arrested in the school protests.
Coverage of the unrest has also examined the state of the school system itself. The Guardian published reporting on how dilapidated French schools are and how severe inequality is within the education system. CNN described the student protests as unprecedented and examined the reasons behind the students' anger.
The BBC's report on the stun grenade suspension did not provide further details on the boy's condition or the circumstances of the injury. The other outlets' reporting indicates the protests have been widespread and met with a heavy police response, including teargas and mass arrests.
What to watch next: whether French authorities extend the suspension, and how the government responds to the grievances over school conditions and inequality that have driven the protests.
