Investigations examine two cases of alleged police violence during French school protests

For nearly three weeks, high school students across France have held blockades and protests, including calls for more government investment in education.

Videos shared online have raised questions about violence during police interventions.

In Lens, a 15-year-old lost his left hand when a police stun grenade exploded near a blocked school on October 5.

Video shows him leaning toward the grenade, but does not establish whether he picked it up.

Police inspectors are investigating, and the Interior Ministry has suspended the use of stun grenades at student protests while the inquiry continues.

In a separate incident in Belfort, a 17-year-old accused of assaulting a police officer says the officer had earlier tried to drown him in a stream; he has filed a complaint, and police inspectors are investigating that claim.

The cases matter amid wider protests: between September 21 and October 7, police inspectors opened 18 investigations into suspected police violence, while authorities reported injuries among students, education staff, police and gendarmes.