Health Workers and Activists Challenge Tear Gas Safety Over Menstrual Impacts

A tear gas canister fired at close range shattered the jaw of a 14-year-old high-school pupil named Eden in a Paris suburb during student protests, leaving him largely toothless and unable to speak, france24.com reported.

The incident stands among numerous severe injuries recorded since demonstrations swept France beginning in September. Protesters and health workers are now challenging the classification of tear gas as a safe crowd-control method, pointing to widespread reports of acute menstrual disruptions following exposure.

French police deployed 22,000 tear gas canisters on October 17 alone, discharging many long before peaceful demonstrations descended into rioting and looting. Video footage from that day captured canisters landing directly among members of an orchestra performing on the Place de la République in central Paris in support of the demonstrations.

Authorities have opened investigations into the nearby death of a 59-year-old man whose family attributed his passing to tear gas exposure after an autopsy cited acute cardiorespiratory failure.

A collective of activists and health workers named Lacrymos du sang has gathered thousands of testimonies detailing menstrual disruptions after chemical exposure. A 20-year-old participant named Maëva reported periods ten times more painful than usual a day after police deployed the gas, while another participant named Camille cited acute pain and heavy bleeding just two days after her period had ended.

The French initiative drew inspiration from a peer-reviewed study conducted in Portland following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. That survey of 2,200 people found that more than half experienced cramping, increased bleeding, and other abnormal symptoms after tear gas exposure.

Solenne Rougeux Fernandez Garcia, a doctoral researcher in neuroendocrinology at Paris-Saclay University and a member of Lacrymos du sang, explained that the CS compound breaks down in the body into a thyroid endocrine disruptor. She noted that this breakdown can trigger vaginal bleeding outside regular menstrual cycles in pre-pubescent girls and post-menopausal women, while direct activation of pain receptors causes severe menstrual cramping.

Midwife Johanne Voahangy-Nirina stated that the collective received testimonies from women who had not participated in protests but experienced abnormal menstrual symptoms simply by walking dogs or shopping near demonstration sites. The interior ministry suspended a stun grenade type that severed a teenager’s hand in Lens, but the government has refused to revise its wider deployment of less-lethal crowd-control weapons.

What chemical compound is used in the tear gas deployed by French police?

When did the Lacrymos du sang collective schedule its findings release?
The collective scheduled the release of its survey findings on November 17, following weeks of gathering testimonies on Instagram.

How many tear gas canisters did police fire on October 17?
French police fired 22,000 canisters on October 17 during protests sparked by conditions in French schools and the cost-of-living crisis.