Prosecutors in France have launched an attempted murder investigation after incendiary devices were thrown at law enforcement officers during recent unrest. The decision follows a disturbing image circulating from Paris on Saturday showing a police officer with his leg on fire during a clash with protesters. The injured officer, who suffered burns to his ankle and minor injuries to his hand, described the weapon as a particularly sophisticated device to Le Figaro, noting it possessed a far greater burning capacity than a standard Molotov cocktail.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez characterized the act of throwing a molotov cocktail at a police line as a murder attempt, confirming that officers are actively working to identify the perpetrators. Despite the severity of the incident, police stated that no arrests have yet been made specifically for the attack captured on camera. The officer involved, who belongs to the National Gendarmerie, reported that his unit suddenly faced several hundred hostile and well-equipped adversaries whom he distinguished from general protesters, stating their intent was to harm representatives of the state.
The incident occurred during a day when hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated across France in largely peaceful protests. These events mark the latest in a series of youth-led demonstrations that began in late September, driven by demands for action on the high cost of living and poor public services, particularly regarding schools. In response to previous clashes and looting, thousands of police officers were deployed over the weekend, with tear gas fired at demonstrators in some cities. The French interior ministry reported more than 770 arrests on Saturday, a figure roughly half that of the protests from the previous week.
While the officer described facing hostile individuals, fourteen other officers sustained wounds ranging from minor to serious, with some struck by paving stones. The unit involved had been urgently recalled from leave to police the weekend events. Conversely, protest organizers known as the Gilets Jaunes or Yellow Vests claim that dozens of protesters have been seriously injured during recent demonstrations, citing injuries caused by grenades. Although France suspended one type of stun grenade in early October after a 15-year-old lost a hand, reports indicate police have continued using a different model in subsequent protests. Similar youth-led demonstrations focused on cost-of-living issues and public services also took place over the weekend in Germany and Italy.
Sources: BBC News World.