> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ilesanglo-normandes.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # World Organisation Against Torture: French government's violent repression of schoolchildren violates international law - URL: https://www.ilesanglo-normandes.com/world-organisation-against-torture-french-governments-violent-repression-of-schoolchildren-violates-international-law/ - Published: 2026-10-17T07:11:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T12:54:23.000Z - Description: French police acting "only to violently suppress this democratic protest, even to the point of mutilating and disfiguring children." League of Human Rights decries French government's criminalisation of children by labelling movement 'urban violence.'" - Author: îles - Tags: Gen Z student protests As France's schoolchildren continue to protest for their right to education, participating in a day of nationwide actions today, 17th Oct, the French government's violent repression has been denounced by the World Organisation Against Torture as "in disregard of national and international law." The United Nations has also called on France to respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed [concern](https://press.un.org/en/2026/db261008.doc.htm?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com). France's League of Human Rights also denounced the "criminalisation of a social movement by qualifying it as 'urban violence,' which leads to a uniquely repressive response." Decrying France's use of "weapons of war against children," the World Organisation Against Torture sounded the alarm that the number of serious injuries inflicted by the French government's police forces on schoolchildren continues to rise. "Alarming testimonies about police repression are multiplying: minors beaten and gassed, brutal acts committed by law enforcement, the use of an SUV to deliberately charge at young people, mutilations related to the use of weapons of war." France is the only country in Europe to send police officers armed with military-grade, so-called "less-lethal" weapons, with the potential for irreversible injuries onto schools and university campuses. On 1st Oct, a 16-year-old schoolboy was part-blinded in Tours, Centre-Val de Loire region, by a police officer's shot from a 'defence' bullet launcher (LBD). On 5th Oct. a 15-year-old schoolchild had his hand and forearm torn off by a police officer firing a grenade. On 28th Sept., a 14 year-old schoolboy had his jaw blown away by a chemical gas grenade fired by a police officer at point-blank range into his face. There are now 36 investigations into serious injuries suffered by schoolchildren by police across France. Multiple incidents of police cars driving into schoolchildren are being investigated. "The role of the police is to protect public freedom and everyone's safety, especially minors," declared Alexis Deswaef, president of the International Federation of Human Rights, a member organisation of the World Organisation Against Torture. **"**We are horrified to see that it seems to act only to violently suppress this democratic protest, even to the point of mutilating and disfiguring children." ## "All moral boundaries are breached when we attack children, our children." "All moral boundaries are breached when we attack children, our children," declared Nathalie Tehio, president of France's League of Human Rights. "As we have been repeating for years, the entire law enforcement doctrine must be reviewed," she stated. "These tragedies could have been avoided." All offensive grenades, including those used for so-called dispersal, are mutilating, the organisation said, adding that international law [strictly regulates](https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention%5FFRA?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com) the use of these weapons, as well as LBDs, in managing crowds at protests. ## Direct attacks against journalists and rights observers covering France's schoolchildren protests. Observers from the League for Human Rights have witnessed "direct attacks against journalists" covering protests, in violation of press freedom. During the 6th Oct. demonstration, human rights observers were also directly targeted by grenades throw at them, the World Organisation Against Torture reported." All democratic norms are violated when journalists and independent observers doing their job are attacked." ## The Observatory and the League of Human Rights urged the French government to: "Systematically treat children as having specific rights requiring special protection, in accordance with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child; Guarantee the fundamental freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, protected by both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 19 and 20) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 10 and 11), and in particular avoid the criminalisation of protesters, especially minors exercising their rights; Ensure that the use of force remains absolutely necessary and proportionate in all circumstances, particularly with regard to minors; Ensure that any allegation of illegal or disproportionate use of force is subject to an independent and impartial investigation, in order to establish the facts; Prohibit the use of mutilating weapons and reform the doctrine of managing protest crowds in order to protect the expression of peaceful dissent, in accordance with international law." --- ### About the World Organisation Against Torture. The largest global organisation working to combat torture in over 90 countries and to protect the most vulnerable members of society, thus children. The organisation reminded the French government that "freedom of expression and the freedom to peacefully assemble are fundamental rights, guaranteed by the French Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 19 and 20), the European Convention on Human Rights (articles 10 and 11), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). ### About the French schoolchildren protests. "Since the mid-September blockade of Saint-Exupéry High School in Val-de-Marne, school and university students have been mobilising all over France. Their demands are simple: better learning conditions and more resources allocated to public education," the WOAT said. "They are asking for teachers, smaller class sizes, decent buildings." "The demands of this French youth are legitimate." "The government must listen to them and respond." --- [French police accused over war-like injuries to teenagers in school protestsFour children allegedly ‘mutilated’ by explosive weapons and lawyers say unprecedented number held in custody![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-699da7e4-f61f-46ba-a9d4-9fc27fa293b0.ico)The GuardianAngelique Chrisafis![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/thumbnail/4029-c5347a7e-3d96-43f7-aeb6-fa19d6913001.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/16/french-police-injuries-teenagers-school-protests-arrests-custody?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com) [France Dropping Out of Democracy. Obstructions to freedom of…A new report published on 25 September confirms an alarming deterioration of public freedoms in France. Hostile narratives, administrative dissolutions,…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-8ae41e1d-90b1-41a8-83a6-ed050476095a.png)OMCT![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2025-09-25-at-12.05.40-2deff57b-21ba-418b-9a67-87c9e6797713.png)](https://www.omct.org/en/resources/reports/observatory-report-france-dropping-out-of-democracy-obstructions-to-freedom-of-association-and-peaceful-assembly?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com) ##