France opens attempted murder inquiry after petrol bomb hits riot police
French prosecutors opened an attempted murder investigation after an incendiary device was thrown at gendarmes in Paris; more than 770 arrests were reported nationwide.
The story in focus
French prosecutors have opened an attempted murder investigation after incendiary devices were thrown at gendarmes and police in Paris during Saturday protests. One officer suffered burns. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called the attack an attempted murder. Police reported more than 770 arrests nationwide; no one had been arrested for the filmed attack.
- Paris prosecutors opened a formal inquiry for attempted murder of persons vested with public authority after incendiary devices were thrown at about 15 gendarmes and police.
- An officer suffered burns to his ankle and minor hand injuries; other officers sustained wounds ranging from minor to serious.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police line as an attempted murder.
- Police reported more than 770 arrests on Saturday, about half the previous week's figure; no arrest had been made for the attack caught on camera.
- The protests are youth-led and began in late September over the cost of living and public services, especially schools.
The attack and the inquiry
Paris prosecutors opened a formal investigation for attempted murder of persons vested with public authority after incendiary devices were thrown at a group of about 15 gendarmes and police officers during Saturday night clashes, the prosecutor's office said.
An officer with the National Gendarmerie, a force technically part of the military but under interior ministry control, sustained burns to his ankle and minor hand injuries. He told Le Figaro the device had greater burning capacity than a standard Molotov cocktail and that his unit faced several hundred hostile, well-equipped adversaries. He said 14 other officers were wounded, some struck by paving stones.
Arrests and official response
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police line amounted to an attempted murder, adding that officers were working to identify the perpetrators. Police said no one had been arrested for the attack captured on camera, AFP reported.
The interior ministry reported more than 770 arrests on Saturday, roughly half the previous week's total. Thousands of officers were deployed after earlier clashes and looting, and police fired tear gas in some cities. Organisers, the Gilets Jaunes, say dozens of protesters have been seriously injured at recent demonstrations. France suspended one type of stun grenade in early October after a teenager's hand was blown off; Le Monde reported police continued using a different model.
How many arrests were reported across France on Saturday?
The French interior ministry reported more than 770 arrests on Saturday, roughly half as many as during the previous week's protests, according to the interior minister and police statements cited in the reports.
Sources & further reading
- France launches attempted murder investigation after petrol bomb thrown at police ↗BBC News
- Attempted murder probe after petrol bomb thrown at French riot police ↗The Guardian
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