A 17-year-old demonstrator had his hand torn off on Saturday in Saint-Étienne when a police grenade detonated after he picked it up, according to a source close to the case. The incident occurred during a “cost of living” protest that descended into violent clashes with security forces.
According to initial findings, the teenager picked up the grenade by hand; the source did not disclose the model of the device. The Loire prefecture confirmed that a 17-year-old had been “seriously injured in the hand,” after initially stating he was in his twenties. The injured youth was transported to the Saint-Étienne university hospital, medical personnel at the demonstration who treated him told AFP.
Witnesses Describe Grisly Injury
According to the same demonstrators, the teenager’s right hand was mangled, and he reportedly told them he had picked up the grenade before it exploded.
The Saint-Étienne prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation “to determine the causes of the injuries,” entrusting the case to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), France’s police watchdog.
Mayor Condemns Violence and Offers Support
Régis Juanico, the Socialist mayor of Saint-Étienne, expressed his “support” for the young man “and his loved ones.” “Such a tragedy should never happen,” he said. He also denounced “scenes of rioting and violence of great gravity (…) that absolutely nothing can justify.”
The mayor cited “looted shops, destroyed bus shelters and street furniture, a vandalized annex town hall, and an attempted intrusion into the city hall” that was prevented by municipal police.
Juanico announced he would hold a press conference on Sunday morning alongside the Loire prefect to provide a full assessment of the damage.
Clashes Mar Protest
The “cost of living” demonstration in Saint-Étienne was the scene of confrontations with security forces, with shop windows smashed and street furniture destroyed, AFP observed.
Second Such Incident in Weeks
The incident echoes a similar case on Monday, October 5, when a teenager had his hand torn off by a stun grenade fired during a rally in Lens as part of a high school student mobilization. Following that accident, the government banned the use of that type of grenade for that particular movement.
