French school protests widen after teenager loses hand in police grenade incident

The protests began in the Paris region in mid-September before spreading across France, according to Euronews. Students are demanding better learning conditions, including more teachers and improvements to school buildings.

Teacher shortages and rundown facilities are central complaints, The Hill reported. The demands also include ensuring that schools in less affluent areas are not disadvantaged, according to Euronews.

By Monday, October 5, student blockades had left hundreds of high schools wholly or partly closed. World News CNA reported that more than 400 of France's 3,700 high schools were partially or totally closed that morning, citing the education ministry.

The counts differ across the coverage. Franceinfo reported 413 establishments disrupted on Monday morning. Le Monde reported a Monday total of 589, compared with 735 on Friday, citing Education Minister Edouard Geffray. These figures refer to different reporting points and descriptions of disruption, and should not be treated as interchangeable closure totals.

On Monday morning, a 15-year-old student lost a hand during protests in Lens, northern France. NDTV News cited a police union source saying he appeared to have picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot police. Other coverage described it as a stun grenade, including the Guardian.

Authorities opened an investigation, according to DER SPIEGEL, which also reported that the teenager was being treated in a clinic. Le Monde reported that Geffray described the injury as a human tragedy.

The injury brought further attention to the policing of the protests. Global News reported that rights groups accused police of heavy-handed tactics against minors, including batons, tear gas and flash-ball guns. The Hill reported hundreds injured and thousands arrested during the wider unrest.

On Tuesday, October 6, the movement faces a nationwide day of demonstrations, with trade unions joining high school students. Tens of thousands are expected to march in Paris, according to Reuters. That is an expectation, not a confirmed turnout.

The scale of Tuesday's planned demonstrations will test the strength of the student-led movement, The New York Times reported. The latest coverage describes preparations for the protests, rather than their results.

Tuesday's turnout and the extent of union participation will show how far the protests have spread beyond school blockades. Reuters reported that unions were joining students, while Euronews described police preparing for nationwide demonstrations.

The investigation into the Lens injury remains another concrete question. Authorities have opened an inquiry, according to DER SPIEGEL, but the supplied coverage contains no findings establishing the full circumstances of the grenade incident.