FRENCH POLICEMAN CHARGED AFTER TEAR GAS GRENADE HITS TEENAGER

A French police officer has been charged with violence after firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student during nationwide school protests, French authorities confirmed. The charge followed clashes in Paris on Tuesday, when riot police fired tear gas and demonstrators threw objects and fireworks near Place de la Nation. The unrest broke out at the end of a demonstration by school pupils demanding greater funding for education. Officers and protesters faced off in the streets as police moved to disperse the crowd.

The Paris clashes formed part of a wider day of action across France over staff shortages, deteriorating school buildings and a lack of basic resources, organised by students, unions and teachers. More than 250,000 people took part nationwide, according to official figures, including around 56,000 in Paris. The demonstrations have been marked by reports of serious injuries to several teenagers, including one case in which a 15-year-old reportedly lost a hand during a confrontation with police. The charge against the officer over the tear gas grenade marks the most significant legal step taken so far in response to those injuries.

Fanny Gallois, Head of the Freedoms Programme at Amnesty International, said injuries linked to the use of so-called less-lethal weapons were "specifically worrying", adding that the organisation has called for their ban for years. She said the weapons used and the injuries they had caused were "extremely worrying for a country such as France". The unrest has intensified criticism of police tactics during the protests. Legal proceedings against the charged officer are expected to continue.