Teen loses hand during student protest in northern France

A 15-year-old boy lost a hand during a student protest in Lens, northern France, amid clashes, blockades and damage to facilities as hundreds of high schools across the country remained partially or completely closed.

According to a police union source, the teenager allegedly picked up a dispersal grenade used by riot police, which then exploded while he was holding it. The exact circumstances remain under investigation, and authorities have not publicly established how the teenager came into contact with the device.

French Education Minister Édouard Geffray described the incident as “humanly tragic” and called for caution while the investigation determines what happened.

The injury occurred during a broader student mobilization that affected more than 400 of France’s 3,700 high schools on Monday, according to the Education Ministry. Students have been protesting since mid-September over teacher shortages, overloaded schedules and deteriorating school facilities.

In Paris, students also blocked entrances to schools and demonstrated with signs and slogans. About one-third of the 468 secondary schools in the region were affected, according to the information provided.

The protests have been largely led by students between 15 and 18 years old, who are demanding additional resources and changes to what they describe as long-standing problems in the education system.