Nuñez says he regrets the injuries but that police use force "within a legal and regulatory framework"
Laurent NuñezFrench minister of the interior, at a press briefing at the Interior Ministry in Paris
Responding to the planned complaint at an evening press briefing, Nuñez says he sincerely regrets the injuries, maintains that police and gendarmes act within the legal framework whenever they use force, and says he is ready to answer any complaint.
Responding to
Laurent Nuñez is responsible for serious injuries to protesters because he ordered police to use weapons he knew could mutilate.
“I regret that there were these injuries, I truly and very sincerely regret it, but every time police officers or gendarmes use force, it is because they are acting within a legal and regulatory framework (Translated from French. Original: Je regrette qu'il y ait eu ces blessés, je regrette vraiment et très sincèrement, mais chaque fois que les policiers ou gendarmes engagent la force, c'est qu'ils sont dans un cadre légal et réglementaire)”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Lawyers for injured French protesters plan a complaint against Laurent Nuñez over police weapons; Nuñez says force was used within the law
On November 6, 2026, lawyers for at least 18 people seriously injured during France's protests since mid-September said they would file a collective complaint against Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez with the Court of Justice of the Republic, the only court that can try sitting ministers for acts in office. Lawyer Arié Alimi said the complaint targets the orders Nuñez gave to use weapons he knows can mutilate, and that it would be filed within about three weeks; about ten of the injured have agreed to sign it. That evening, Nuñez said he sincerely regretted the injuries but that police and gendarmes always use force within a legal and regulatory framework, that intermediate weapons are indispensable and that he was ready to answer any complaint. On November 9, the LDH and two student unions said the Interior Ministry refuses to acknowledge police violence against young protesters.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
AFP reports, in French, that lawyers for at least 18 people injured in protests since mid-September plan a collective complaint against Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez at the Court of Justice of the Republic, and quotes Nuñez's response at a press briefing that evening.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
AFP's English report on the lawyers' press conference, with Nuñez's response, the AFP count of seriously injured protesters and the number of internal police investigations opened as of October 30.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Reacting at a Friday evening press briefing on security arrangements for the next day's national protests, Nuñez said he would be ready to answer any complaint filed against him and that he was entirely calm about it.
After the quotation
He added that intermediate weapons are indispensable to the work of the internal security forces.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the use of crowd-control weapons such as grenades by French police and gendarmes, under Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's orders, that seriously injured protesters since mid-September 2026. Nuñez expresses regret for the injuries but says every use of force by police and gendarmes stays within the legal framework and calls intermediate weapons indispensable, which defends the use of force under scrutiny.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Arié Alimi
More from this case
Read the full caseLDH and student unions call the minister's remark on police "indecent"
Ligue des droits de l'Homme
“He even went so far as to argue that the first ones hurt by these mutilations would be the police themselves, those who use their weapons. Faced with young people who have lost an eye or been seriously injured, such a statement is indecent. (Translated from French. Original: Il est allé jusqu'à avancer que les premiers meurtris de ces mutilations seraient les forces de l'ordre elles-mêmes, celles qui font usage de leurs armes. Face à des jeunes qui ont perdu un œil ou ont été grièvement touchés, une telle déclaration est indécente.)”Read statement
Arié Alimi says the complaint must target Nuñez as the person responsible for the mutilations
“We now believe it is imperative to target the person responsible for the mutilations and the massive damage, namely the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez (Translated from French. Original: nous pensons aujourd'hui qu'il est impératif de viser celui qui est à l'origine des mutilations et des dégâts massifs, à savoir le ministre de l'Intérieur Laurent Nuñez)”Read statement
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- Nuñez says he regrets the injuries but that police use force "within a legal and regulatory framework"
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The Dispute Index. "Nuñez says he regrets the injuries but that police use force "within a legal and regulatory framework"". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8471-responding-to-the-planned-complaint-at-an-evening