File photo: French CRS riot police run past garbage bins and object set on fire amid clashes with protesters in Paris.
A 14-year-old boy, identified as Eden, suffered a shattered jaw and severe dental injuries after a police tear gas grenade struck him in the face during the protest. The police officer who fired the grenade was taken into custody a week later and faces a preliminary charge of violence by a public official resulting in mutilation or permanent disability, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison. In Lens, a 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a police stun grenade. In Tours, prosecutors said a police riot-control round was suspected of causing the partial blinding of a 16-year-old.
His mother said he underwent surgery and is currently unable to speak or eat normally, relying on a straw for liquids. Prosecutors said his use of the weapon appeared disproportionate. The officer told investigators he had acted within “a fraction of a second” to protect a female colleague who had exchanged blows with the teenager.
France’s crackdown on high school protests is coming under growing scrutiny after several teenagers suffered severe, potentially life-changing injuries during clashes with police. Thousands have also been arrested during the demonstrations aimed at demanding better-funded and better-equipped schools. Eden’s case is one of several serious injuries suffered by teenagers during the nationwide protests. The injuries have intensified questions over the use of force against a movement made up largely of schoolchildren. Critics and human rights campaigners say police have responded disproportionately, while the government maintains that officers have intervened when demonstrations have turned violent, involving rioting, vandalism and attacks.