Paris prosecutors open attempted-murder probe after incendiary attack on officers

Paris prosecutors have opened an attempted-murder investigation after incendiary projectiles were thrown at security forces during a demonstration in the French capital. The attack took place at Porte de Charenton, where Saturday’s march ended, and involved about 15 gendarmes as well as police officers, prosecutors said. Video and photographs cited by DW and the BBC showed an incendiary device exploding near a gendarme’s feet and setting part of his protective equipment alight.

The officer told Le Figaro that he suffered burns to his ankle and a minor hand injury. Prosecutors also referred to provisional reports of second-degree burns and tinnitus, while the officer said other members of his unit had injuries ranging from minor to serious. No one had been arrested in connection with the attack in the reports available.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police line as an attempted murder and said officers were working to identify those responsible. The gendarme told Le Figaro that the device appeared to have a greater burning capacity than a standard Molotov cocktail, although police had not established which liquid it contained. The injured officer said his unit had suddenly faced several hundred hostile people whom he distinguished from ordinary protesters.

He described the group as equipped and intent on harming state representatives. The BBC reported that officers were also struck by paving stones. The attack occurred during a wider wave of demonstrations focused on the cost of living and government policies, including concerns about public services and schools.

The BBC described the movement as largely youth-led and said it had begun in late September. Protests were also reported in Germany and Italy over the same weekend, with demands varying across countries but broadly centred on living costs and public services. France deployed thousands of officers after earlier demonstrations had involved clashes, looting and injuries.

Tear gas was used in some cities, and authorities increased security before Halloween following online calls for violence. The later part of Saturday night passed without major incidents, according to officials. The Interior Ministry reported 779 arrests nationwide across the demonstrations and Halloween night.

That total was lower than the 1,314 arrests recorded during the previous Saturday’s mobilisation and the 2,628 arrests reported on 17 October, when widespread rioting and looting took place. In Paris, prosecutors recorded 105 arrests, including 88 linked to the protests and 17 connected with Halloween. Eighty-nine people remained in custody, among them at least 22 minors.

Attendance figures differed. The ministry estimated that 320,000 people took part nationwide, while unions put the number at nearly 500,000. The reports also noted a dispute over policing tactics.

The Yellow Vests said protesters had suffered serious injuries during recent demonstrations, some allegedly caused by grenades. France suspended one type of stun grenade in October after a 15-year-old lost a hand, while Le Monde reported that another model continued to be used.