France's interior ministry announced that the police watchdog IGPN has opened twenty-four investigations regarding incidents from ongoing high school protests. The police response has sparked renewed demands to eliminate the use of rubber bullets and launcher-fired riot-control weapons, which have faced longstanding criticism from rights organizations and UN experts regarding their excessive and dangerous nature.

Key facts

  • Twenty-four investigations were opened by the French police watchdog IGPN.
  • The investigations relate to incidents connected to the high school protest movement.
  • The interior ministry confirmed the number of investigations.
  • The police response has renewed calls to ban rubber bullets and launcher-fired riot-control weapons.
  • Rights groups and UN experts have long criticized these weapons as dangerous and excessive.

Why it matters

The high number of official investigations into police actions highlights rising concerns over law enforcement methods, pushing renewed pressure from rights groups and UN experts to ban controversial crowd-control weapons.

France 24

Source: France 24 English — Read original story