A 15-year-old boy’s hand was blown off during a confrontation between police and demonstrators close to a faculty in France, an official has said, as scholar protests proceed across the nation.
The “very serious incident” occurred in the north-eastern metropolis of Lens on Monday morning, according to the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch.
“The student’s life is not in danger,” he said, including that the teenager was transferred “very quickly” to a hospital in close by.
Around 500 faculties were partially or completely closed across the nation on Monday amid scholar protests over the situation of faculty buildings and staffing which have led to clashes with police in latest days.
There are blended reports in French media about how the boy came to maintain the harm.
Regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord reported that they lost their hand after choosing up a police stun grenade.
Officials have not yet supplied particulars.
A regional prosecutor said an investigation would be carried out by the French police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN), “so all light can be shed on what happened”.
The incident took place close to the Auguste Béhal high faculty, the prefect said.
Lauch said a “larger gathering” of college students than on earlier days had assembled outside the faculty.
“At the start of the morning, they threw various projectiles at the local police officers who were on site initially. When I say projectiles, I mean stones, fireworks, and mortars,” he advised French media.
“Instructions were given by the interdepartmental director of the National Police, naturally with my approval, to deploy a company of riot police (CRS) here to maintain order, and it was in this context that this event occurred.”
The faculty issued a assertion on Monday morning, saying: “In light of the events that took place this morning and in order to ensure the safety of the entire school community, the institution is switching to distance learning from now on.
“In addition, to support everyone during this period, a listening and support unit has also been set up at the institution.”
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