French police face scrutiny after protesters lose eye and hand in riots

A 17-year-old girl lost an eye in Mulhouse and a 17-year-old boy lost a hand in Saint-Etienne during protests last Saturday. These injuries have placed French police under intense pressure as they prepare for further demonstrations expected this coming weekend. Officers appear outnumbered and overwhelmed by crowds protesting rising living costs and poor school conditions.

The Interior Ministry reported that 997 officers and gendarmes were injured during the unrest on Saturday, with seven sustaining serious wounds. Police stated that more than 100 protesters and residents were injured in Paris alone. Authorities have not yet released a nationwide total for civilian injuries. Approximately 2,400 people were arrested across France during the single day of unrest.

French National Police forces are equipped with batons, tear gas, sound grenades, and foam-round launchers. Riot shields fitted with powerful strobe lights are also deployed to disorient demonstrators. Electric stun guns are prohibited for crowd control. The National Police described these intermediate-force weapons as defensive tools that allow for a graduated response to threats.

Critics, including the families of injured teenagers, argue that police tactics have been too heavy-handed. Some groups are calling for bans on foam rounds, tear gas, and stun grenades, a demand echoing concerns raised since the 2018 yellow vest protests. Amnesty International called for a permanent ban on stun grenades earlier this month, citing risks of permanent hearing loss and shrapnel injuries.

Patrick Wilcken, an arms researcher at Amnesty International, noted that stun grenades were originally developed for military training and high-risk hostage situations. He stated that they were never really meant for policing protests. Neil Corney, an arms researcher at the Omega Research Foundation, said foam-round launchers are classified as less-lethal but can kill in certain circumstances.

United Nations guidance states that kinetic impact projectiles should target the abdomen and avoid the head, face, or neck. Firing from elevated positions or at close range increases the risk of serious injury. Corney pointed to Spain, where injuries declined after authorities replaced rubber-bullet shotguns with foam-round launchers following the 2017 Catalonia independence referendum.

Jean-Marie Godard, an author specializing in French internal security, said the current approach reflects a shift away from community policing toward specialized riot-control units. This move began in the early 2000s. Laura Keesmann, a sociologist at the University of Antwerp, observed that police in the U.K., Netherlands, and Sweden often engage directly with demonstrators to defuse tensions. She described the French method as having a much more authoritarian way of policing.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said his instructions were very clear, allowing police and gendarmes to use the entirety of intermediate weapons at their disposal. Godard noted that protest movements have become decentralized as labor unions lost influence, drawing in radical groups. French authorities have blamed far-left radicals for orchestrating clashes and targeting public buildings, while others looted businesses during the unrest.