French PM rejects police brutality claims after teens severely injured in protests: 'Accidents happen'

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the police response to student protests after one teenager lost a hand in an incident involving a police grenade and another lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile.

In parliament on Tuesday, Lecornu pushed back on accusations of police brutality or state repression, adding that the term "police brutality" implies that officers had been instructed to use force, according to Politico.

"What triggers police action is the occurrence of urban violence," Lecornu said.