Lens:French lawmaker Gabrielle Cathala has called for the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez due to the police response to recent high school student protests. The protests have sparked widespread criticism regarding the government’s approach to handling the demonstrations.
According to Anadolu Agency, Cathala, a member of the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI), addressed the issue in the National Assembly. She cited incidents where students were severely injured, including losing an eye and suffering a broken jaw, during police interventions. Cathala criticized the announcement of 10 investigations into these incidents, stating that the focus should be on preventing such violence rather than investigating after the fact.
Cathala emphasized the need for a shift in France's policing strategy towards de-escalation, highlighting footage of plainclothes officers damaging property and police firing projectiles at students. She urged Nunez to resign, stating he had no further role to play.
The call for resignation follows a particularly concerning incident where a 15-year-old student lost a hand after a grenade used by riot police exploded during a demonstration near Auguste-Behal high school in Lens. Bethune public prosecutor Etienne Thieffry mentioned that it was still unclear whether the grenade was picked up by the teenager or thrown at him, with an investigation opened by France’s police watchdog.
In Strasbourg, during a European Parliament session, French MEP Emma Fourreau also condemned the police actions, reporting multiple cases of severe injuries to students across various locations in France. She accused Nunez of responsibility for the violence against minors protesting for better learning conditions.
Other political figures have echoed Cathala's sentiments. LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard accused authorities of preferring repression over dialogue, while Green politician Marine Tondelier labeled the lack of restraint a serious political mistake. Socialist politician Olivier Faure called for an immediate review of crowd-control strategies.
A petition on the National Assembly's website demanding a ban on police weapons capable of causing serious injuries during high school protests has already gathered over 10,000 signatures. Nunez, speaking on broadcaster TF1, acknowledged not instructing police to exercise restraint during the demonstrations, a statement that has fueled further criticism from opposition leaders.