French policing scrutinized as student protest injuries mount

· Politics · France

French police watchdog IGPN has opened 24 investigations into incidents linked to the ongoing high school protest movement, the interior ministry said, as injuries among students draw scrutiny to police tactics. A 14-year-old suffered a broken jaw and smashed teeth after being struck by a tear gas canister at close range, his family said. The police response has reignited calls to scrap rubber bullets and launcher-fired riot-control weapons, long denounced by rights groups and UN experts. Students in a Paris suburb say conditions are so poor that protests must continue.

Why it matters：Growing injuries and investigations focus attention on heavy-handed policing and could push France to change riot-control weapons policy.

Key points

  • IGPN opened 24 investigations linked to the protest movement.
  • A 14-year-old suffered a broken jaw and smashed teeth, his family said.
  • Rights groups have long denounced rubber bullets and riot-control launchers.

Sources (original reporting)

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