French PM Defends Police Amid Student Protests, Controversies Emerge

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has spoken in defense of the police response following recent student protests. These protests have resulted in serious injuries, including a teenager losing his hand due to a police grenade and another losing sight in one eye from a projectile strike.

During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Lecornu rejected claims of police brutality, emphasizing that such accusations suggest officers were directed to use force. He noted, “What triggers police action is the occurrence of urban violence.” Lecornu also acknowledged the possibility of accidents occurring during these incidents.

Lecornu and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez maintain that the police actions were a response to urban violence, asserting that officers acted within their legal boundaries. Nuñez described the police response as proportionate in “almost all cases.”

Lecornu accused the opposition party, France Unbowed, of using these student protests to create chaos and gain political traction ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.

President Emmanuel Macron convened an urgent meeting with senior ministers to discuss the student protests’ impact and their political ramifications. This governmental action comes in response to the arrests of over 6,500 individuals amid nationwide protests demanding improved school funding and conditions. Most detainees are minors.

Lecornu stated that since the protests began, 215 students and 85 school staff members have suffered injuries, while 715 police officers have also been hurt. “I hope we can provide a political response to a very real anxiety among high school students,” Lecornu said.

As Lecornu addressed parliament, demonstrators, including several unions, teachers’ groups, high school and university students, and left-wing party members, gathered to protest. The Interior Ministry estimated 266,000 demonstrators participated nationwide, with 56,000 in Paris alone.

The protest movement initially started at high schools in the Paris area in mid-September and has since spread across the country.

Incidents have raised concerns, such as a 15-year-old boy in northern France losing a hand due to a police grenade. A prosecutor has yet to determine whether the grenade was picked up or thrown at the boy. In Tours, a 16-year-old lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile, potentially fired from a police sub-lethal weapon.

Boris Vallaud, leader of the center-left Socialist group in parliament, announced plans to propose legislation to limit the use of sub-lethal riot-control weapons at student protests, citing the risk of permanent injuries.