Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez ordered police to stop using the grenades until the circumstances surrounding the incident are fully established. The decision comes amid growing concerns over police tactics and allegations of excessive force during nationwide student protests demanding improvements in the country’s education system.

The teenager was seriously injured near Auguste Behal Secondary School in Lens, close to Lille. Authorities said the boy picked up a grenade that had fallen to the ground before it exploded. Students, however, gave a different account, claiming that a grenade fired by police struck the teenager directly. The conflicting accounts have prompted calls for a thorough investigation.

Local authorities said more than 200 students had thrown stones and fireworks at police in the area. The protests have spread across France, with large demonstrations reported in Paris and other cities. Police used tear gas and water cannons in several locations as clashes intensified.

According to France’s Interior Ministry, 488 people were arrested and 43 security personnel were injured during Tuesday’s demonstrations. The disruption continued on Wednesday, with more than 500 schools reported to be fully or partially closed. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools had been affected by arson or vandalism and could remain closed for several weeks, potentially affecting around 30,000 students.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to address the country on Wednesday evening over the escalating unrest in schools. Meanwhile, the government has intensified scrutiny of police conduct during the demonstrations.

Minister Nuñez said the French police oversight body, IGPN, had opened 18 investigations into alleged excessive use of force. Speaking to RTL radio, he described the Lens incident as a serious matter that had raised questions within the Interior Ministry itself.

The Lens incident followed another serious case last week in the northwestern Paris area of Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, where a 14-year-old boy was reportedly struck in the face by a tear-gas grenade. According to his lawyer, the teenager lost several teeth and suffered a fractured jaw. A police officer has been charged in connection with the incident.

Another 16-year-old suffered a serious hand injury outside a school in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Initial reports indicated that the injury occurred while the teenager was handling an explosive device resembling a firecracker.

In the northeastern city of Belfort, a 17-year-old student participating in the demonstrations alleged that a police officer held his head underwater during his arrest. Police have opened an investigation into an alleged attempted murder. The teenager has also been charged with allegedly attacking a police officer, according to French media reports.

The growing number of injuries and investigations has intensified debate in France over the balance between maintaining public order and protecting young demonstrators’ rights. The government is under increasing pressure to ensure that police responses to the protests remain proportionate and lawful.