Story perspectives

France bans stun grenades after protest violence, Thunberg joins

By Drooid · Oct 13, 2026, 2:30 PM UTC · How we work

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Thousands Detained Schools Closed

Greta Thunberg joined a demonstration outside Lycée Paul Éluard in Saint-Denis, France, on 13 October 2026.
The government reported more than 6,800 detained protesters, mostly minors, and pledged 3,000 substitute teachers for the 114 most affected high schools.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said roughly 200 schools were closed, some for safety along march routes.
Eight teachers were injured in police clashes in the Paris region, Bordeaux and Lyon.

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Stun Grenade Ban

Greta Thunberg joined a demonstration outside Lycée Paul Éluard in Saint-Denis, France, on 13 October 2026.
The protest saw severe police violence, including a protester losing a hand to a stun grenade, leading the government to ban stun grenades.
Thunberg said young people are excluded from the conversation and schools lack needed investment.
Lawyers in robes formed a human chain to protect students after allegations of police brutality.

History

Historical Context

The nationwide Yellow Vests protests began on 17 November 2018, driven by fuel taxes and cost-of-living anger, and drew roughly three million participants before ending in June 2020. Their legacy of frequent police deployments and debates over crowd-control weapons frames the 2026 demonstration in Saint-Denis, where climate activist Greta Thunberg joined French youth protesting Macron’s policies.

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Thousands Detained Schools Closed

Greta Thunberg joined a demonstration outside Lycée Paul Éluard in Saint-Denis, France, on 13 October 2026.
The government reported more than 6,800 detained protesters, mostly minors, and pledged 3,000 substitute teachers for the 114 most affected high schools.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said roughly 200 schools were closed, some for safety along march routes.
Eight teachers were injured in police clashes in the Paris region, Bordeaux and Lyon.

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