France suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests Wednesday after a 15-year-old's hand was blown off Monday in the northern city of Lens, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced.
Nuñez said he requested the pause until the facts of the incident near Auguste Béhal high school had been "clarified", citing conflicting accounts from protesters and officials. Authorities said the boy picked up the grenade, which then exploded. Students alleged an officer fired it directly at him.
The suspension marks an escalation in response to nationwide school protests that have grown rapidly since early in the week. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to streets Tuesday calling for better school conditions. The government reported more than 250,000 protesters; student unions estimated 450,000.
Massive disruption continued Wednesday. More than 500 schools were fully or partially shut. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools had been "set alight or vandalised" so severely they would close for several weeks, affecting 30,000 pupils. Officials reported 200 students and 700 police officers injured overall, with more than 6,600 arrests.
Police deployed tear gas and water cannons in several cities Tuesday. The interior ministry said 488 people were arrested and 43 security force members were hurt that day alone. A police watchdog opened 18 investigations into whether officers used proportionate force.
A 14-year-old was hit in the face with a tear gas grenade last week, losing several teeth and suffering a fractured jaw. A police officer has been charged. A 17-year-old student complained an officer held his head underwater during an arrest in Belfort, prompting an attempted murder investigation. The student has himself been charged with aggravated assault.
The national policing union UNSA opposed the suspension. Secretary Jean-Paul Nascimento told FranceInfo he was sceptical, saying the decision was based "on emotion" and warning that without the weapon, closer-quarters clashes might cause more injuries.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced schools would set aside half the day for students to voice concerns. An online consultation seeking student opinions drew 30,000 responses within a day. Student unions said Thursday demonstrations were planned in Paris and other cities and demanded a meeting with Lecornu, citing lack of "concrete measures".
Political figures have used the crisis to attack opponents ahead of April elections to select Macron's successor. President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting Tuesday with key ministers.