French Police Scrutinized Over Riot Control Tactics Amid Protests
Injuries to teenagers during recent unrest have led to calls for bans on certain crowd-control weapons and a review of policing methods.
Police in France are facing increased scrutiny over their riot-control tactics following instances where teenagers sustained serious injuries during recent protests. The unrest, fueled by concerns over the rising cost of living and poor school conditions, has seen officers appearing outnumbered, prompting authorities to announce police reinforcements ahead of further demonstrations expected on Saturday.
Reports from last Saturday indicate that a 17-year-old girl lost an eye in Mulhouse and a 17-year-old boy lost a hand in Saint-Etienne, among other disabling injuries to teenagers during protests and school blockades.
French law enforcement is equipped with batons, tear gas, sound grenades, and foam-round launchers. Riot shields also feature powerful strobe lights intended to disorient crowds. The use of electric stun guns is prohibited in crowd-control operations. The French National Police stated that "Intermediate-force weapons are defensive response tools that allow law enforcement officers to respond to a threat in a graduated and proportionate manner."
However, critics, including the families of injured teenagers, argue that police have employed excessive force. Human rights groups and some lawmakers have called for bans on stun grenades and tear gas, echoing demands made after the violent "yellow vest" protests in 2018. Amnesty International has previously called for a permanent ban on all stun grenades, citing their potential to cause permanent hearing loss and life-altering injuries from blasts and shrapnel.
The United Nations guidance on "less-lethal weapons" advises that kinetic impact projectiles should only be used against an imminent threat, targeting the abdomen and never the head, face, or neck. The UN also warns that firing from elevated positions, at close range, or bouncing rounds off the ground can increase the risk of severe injury.
Foam-round launchers, while classified as less-lethal and considered safer than rubber-bullet shotguns, can still cause fatalities in certain circumstances, according to researchers. These launchers were initially developed for military training and later adapted for high-risk situations, not typically for policing protests.
An additional concern is accountability, as foam rounds generally leave no traceable evidence, unlike bullets. Activists have proposed marking rounds with identification numbers to help identify officers involved in incidents resulting in serious injuries, a measure suggested to improve accountability at minimal cost.
The current policing approach in France reflects a broader shift away from community policing, which emphasized foot patrols and resident engagement, towards specialized riot-control units. This shift began in the early 2000s, and many across the political spectrum now express regret over abandoning the community policing model.
Sociologists note that French policing differs from methods in other European countries, where officers often engage directly with demonstrators and sometimes mingle with crowds to deescalate tensions. In France, the approach is described as more authoritarian.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has stated that his instructions to police and gendarmes are clear: "the police and gendarmes should be able to use the entirety of the intermediate weapons at their disposal."
France has a large police force, with over 250,000 national police officers and gendarmes. During recent unrest, 997 officers and gendarmes were reported injured, seven seriously. In Paris alone, over 100 protesters and residents were injured, and approximately 2,400 people were arrested nationwide on a recent Saturday.
Authorities have attributed much of the recent violence to far-left radicals, accusing them of orchestrating clashes with police and targeting public buildings. Others reportedly took advantage of the unrest for looting. Protest movements in France have also become more decentralized as labor unions have diminished influence, leading to a wider range of participants, including radical groups.