A security device amputates a demonstrator's hand in France. Shocking scenes ignite controversy over police violence

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A source close to the file told Agence France-Presse that a demonstrator lost his hand, on Saturday, in the city of Saint-Etienne in central France, as a result of the explosion of a bomb fired by security forces.

This severe injury, which came in the context of the day of massive protests against the high cost of living, is in addition to a similar incident that occurred in the city of Lens in northern France in early October during the student protests.

The demonstrator's hand was amputated following the explosion of a bomb fired by the French police, sparking a new wave of controversy over the security forces' use of non-lethal weapons, amid escalating social protests and expanding criticism directed at methods of dispersing demonstrators.

A 15-year-old French student was seriously injured during student protests in the city of Lens, after a stun device exploded in his hand linked to police intervention. The accident ended with his hand being amputated, an incident that caused widespread shock and brought to the fore the dangers of using this type of security equipment.

According to Agence France-Presse, police sources reported that the teenager may have picked up the device fired by riot police, in an attempt to throw it away, before it exploded in his hand.

The injury reopened the debate about the appropriateness of using stun grenades to confront protests, especially when students and minors participate. The sensitivity of the issue increases with the documentation of previous incidents in which similar munitions caused serious injuries.

The French authorities had previously announced the temporary suspension of the use of the EF-SON device during student protests, until the circumstances of the teenager’s injury became clear. The General Inspectorate of the National Police also opened investigations into allegations related to the behavior of security personnel during the wave of protests.

The incident comes in the context of broader protests in France, fueled by demands to improve educational conditions and objection to the high costs of living and declining purchasing power. Some movements turned into confrontations between demonstrators and security forces, amid exchange of accusations regarding responsibility for the escalation.

French cities witnessed several new protests on Saturday, during which police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse groups of demonstrators, according to the Associated Press.

Among the escalating social demands and controversy is the limits of the use of force, and serious incidents raise a renewed question in France: How can the authorities maintain public order without exposing demonstrators to injuries that could change their lives forever?