‘I am still traumatised’: French police accused of brutalising minors
French police face allegations of brutality against minors during nationwide education protests, with teenagers reporting serious injuries including hospitalization and permanent damage.
Paris, France — Enzo, 17, said a police officer grabbed his arm as another struck him from behind with a baton. With his head covered in blood, he was hospitalised and needed stitches. Eden, a 14-year-old, cannot talk right now after his jaw was smashed by a police-fired tear gas grenade. Mael, 16, cannot see from her right eye after being struck by a rubber bullet.
Since mid-September, when French high school students started revolting against the education system, police tactics have come under scrutiny. Lawyers and protesters accused police of stirring violence rather than de-escalating tensions. "I am still traumatised. Instead of protecting us, they are attacking us," Enzo said.
Police Response
French authorities defended police actions as necessary, pointing to hundreds of law enforcement personnel injured during protests. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there were "no instructions for restraint" and that force must remain proportionate. The Justice Ministry instructed prosecutors to pursue a rapid response to violence, including considering parents' civil liability for minors' actions.
France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has opened 36 inquiries into alleged misconduct. Nearly 6,900 people have been placed in police custody since protests began, 86 percent of them minors. Such a tough stance has galvanized protesters, with over half a million people taking to the streets recently, about 100,000 in Paris alone.
Controversial Tactics
Police used "la nasse," or kettling, a controversial tactic where officers encircle and contain demonstrators, blocking roads to exit squares in Paris. This left thousands stuck and compressed, leading to fainting and panic attacks. On Saturday, police fired tear gas and stun grenades well before marches started, setting a tense tone for the day.
We are too young to be taken seriously; we are grown up enough to be beaten up.
Historical Context
The student protests have catalyzed wider grievances in France amid fiscal, political and social crises. During the "yellow vest" protests starting in 2018, officers faced criticism over force use. In 2023, the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk triggered riots, reigniting debate over police violence. Environmental activists have also accused authorities of disproportionate force.
Paolo Stuppia, a sociology lecturer at Sciences Po, believes tensions have worsened under President Emmanuel Macron. What was once reserved for the suburbs is now being applied to everyone, he said. "There is a climate of mistrust between protesters and police, and it is growing because police repression now affects far more people."
Lawyer Ainoha Pascual described French crowd control as very specific and involve the use of weapons, including non-lethal weapons which are capable of lethal force. Interior Minister Nunez suspended stun grenades after a teenager lost his hand but said they could be used in cases of "urban violence." On Saturday, they were used extensively despite earlier claims they "were never used when things are going well."
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