The number of students injured in protests in France has reached 215, Education Minister Edouard Geoffrey announced on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, he had spoken of 190 victims, but the subsequent figures also include the incidents of October 5. “Since the start of the mobilization in high schools, 215 students have been injured“, the minister said, specifying that these included both incidents and injuries caused by participants in the riots.
The most serious case was in Lens, where a 15-year-old student lost his arm in a grenade explosion outside the “Auguste Beal” high school. The incident occurred on October 5 during clashes between protesters and police. The Bethune prosecutor's office has assigned the investigation to the General Inspectorate of the National Police. It is not yet known whether the grenade was picked up by the student or fell next to him.
Ten checks on police actions
The incident in Lens is the latest serious incident during the protests. On September 28, a student in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumont suffered serious facial injuries after being shot with a “Cougar“ grenade launcher used to fire tear gas. According to his lawyer, he has a double fracture of the jaw and several broken or knocked out teeth.
In Tours, a 16-year-old student lost sight in one eye. The prosecutor's office has ordered an investigation by the police inspectorate after the student and witnesses said the injury was caused by a rubber bullet. A total of ten investigations are related to police actions during the protests.
At the same time, the French Interior Ministry reported 650 injured security forces, while the Ministry of Education indicated 78 injured employees in the system. The figures for the number of law enforcement officers differ in different official reports: according to information cited by French media and government sources, the number reaches 715.
New demonstrations are planned for October 6
The protests began on September 21 with the blockade of a high school in the Paris suburb of Creteil. Students are demanding more teachers, social workers and psychologists, as well as additional funds for schools. On September 29, the USL student union called for blockades, and according to its data, over 400 high schools were closed.
On October 5, between 400 and 500 educational institutions remained closed or blocked. The actions were accompanied by clashes, arson and damage to school buildings. New marches and blockades are planned for October 6, which are expected to be joined by trade union organizations. The French government called for the protests to be peaceful, while representatives of “France Invincible“ rejected accusations that the party was organizing the violence.
Sources: lemonde.fr, tf1info.fr, rbc.ru