French Prime Minister defends police response amid student protests and injuries

<p>French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the police response to student protests after a teenager lost a hand in an incident involving a police grenade and another lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile. In parliament on Tuesday, Lecornu rejected accusations of police brutality or state repression, stating that the term "police brutality" implies that officers had been instructed to use force, according to Politico.</p><p>"What triggers police action is the occurrence of urban violence," Lecornu said. "Can accidents happen? The answer is yes," he added.</p><p>Lecornu and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez argued that the police response was prompted by urban violence, arson, and vandalism, asserting that officers acted within their authority. Nuñez described the police response as proportionate in "almost all cases."</p><p>The prime minister accused the opposition party France Unbowed of exploiting the student protests to create chaos and gain political advantage ahead of next year’s presidential election. President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting with senior ministers to discuss the nationwide student protests and their potential political implications.</p><p>The French government is facing increasing pressure following the arrest of over 6,500 individuals and hundreds of injuries as students demand improved funding and learning conditions in schools. Most of those arrested were minors, according to the Associated Press.</p><p>Lecornu reported that 215 students and 85 school staff members had been injured since the protests began, while his office stated that 715 police officers had also sustained injuries.</p><p>"I hope we can provide a political response to a very real anxiety among high school students," Lecornu acknowledged. As he spoke on Tuesday, demonstrators from various French unions and teachers’ groups joined high school and university students in protest. Members of France’s left-wing parties were also present, according to Politico.</p><p>The Interior Ministry estimated that 266,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide on Tuesday, including 56,000 in Paris. The Paris demonstration was largely peaceful, although smaller groups later clashed with riot police, according to the Associated Press.</p><p>The protesters' movement began at high schools in the Paris region in mid-September before spreading across the country. On Monday, a 15-year-old boy in northern France lost a hand after a police grenade exploded during the protests, as reported by Politico. A prosecutor indicated that it was unclear whether the student picked up the grenade or if it was thrown at him.</p><p>In Tours, a 16-year-old lost sight in one eye after being hit by a projectile, which may have been fired from a sub-lethal riot-control weapon used by police, according to the outlet. Boris Vallaud, leader of the center-left Socialist group in parliament, stated that the group would introduce legislation to restrict the use of sub-lethal riot-control weapons at student demonstrations, warning that they can cause irreversible injuries, as reported.</p>