French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Monday that he would continue to authorize the use of grenades and tear gas during demonstrations, arguing that police officers need such measures when they are attacked.
Nuñez made the remarks during a hearing on the Interior Ministry’s 2027 budget before the National Assembly’s law committee. Several lawmakers had urged him to give up the use of grenades following serious injuries suffered by high-school students during a recent mobilization.
Responding to Gabrielle Cathala of La France Insoumise, who criticized police actions as “repression,” Nuñez rejected that characterization. He said the police’s role was to prevent public-order disturbances and added that he was pleased when demonstrations ended without the use of force.
The minister said he intervened only when violence occurred, referring to demonstrators who break shop windows, attack police officers or throw Molotov cocktails. He also called for a renewed willingness to live together during the six months before the presidential election.
Asked about reports from some women of menstrual problems after exposure to tear gas, Nuñez said he was not aware of evidence showing that the gas was harmful. He cited studies conducted in 2021 and 2022, saying they had found no identified health effects and that the effects disappeared quickly. He therefore said he would not suspend the use of tear gas as a precautionary measure.
Nuñez is due to appear before the committee again on Tuesday as part of an inquiry into his handling of public order during the October 17 mobilization, which was marked by unprecedented damage and looting.
Sources: Le Monde Politique.