French Officer Charged After Teenager Blinds By Rubber Bullet During Protests
An officer has been charged with aggravated violence after a 16-year-old was blinded by a rubber bullet during student protests in Tours, France.
A French police officer has been charged with aggravated violence following an incident where a 16-year-old protester was blinded by a rubber bullet in Tours on September 30. The teenager's family has blamed the police for the injury.
France has experienced several days of unrest, with high school students, joined by far-left activists and Antifa-linked groups, clashing with riot police. These demonstrations have been sparked by issues including failing school conditions, leading to instances of vandalism, such as schools being set on fire and teachers being attacked.
Accusations of police brutality against students have been raised by students, unions, rights groups, and parents. The interior ministry has opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of officer violence against demonstrators. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that 248 students and 149 members of teaching staff had been injured during the protests, alongside 937 police officers.
In a separate incident earlier this month, a 15-year-old student reportedly lost a hand while attempting to throw a stun grenade back at police near the Auguste Behal high school in Lens. According to prosecutors, the boy picked up a police stun grenade, which then exploded. His family, however, has initiated legal action, seeking an impartial investigation and denying the police account, asserting that the boy lost several fingers on his right hand in addition to his left hand.
Mass student protests have also seen violent acts, including the setting fire to the entrance of a Paris school, trapping teachers and pupils inside. Firefighters were attacked with fireworks by demonstrators while attempting to extinguish the blaze. The head of the vandalized school described the attackers as a "very determined" group wearing hoods and masks.
French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that the students have "legitimate concerns" but believes these grievances are being "exploited" for political purposes and turned into urban violence. He has directed the government to develop "concrete responses" to the student unrest within weeks. Nationwide solidarity demonstrations in support of the students drew significant crowds, though some protests saw clashes on the sidelines, with police using tear gas in response.