French authorities have opened a criminal investigation following an incendiary attack on security forces during nationwide cost-of-living protests, leaving five officers injured in Paris as demonstrations escalated into violent clashes.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Paris prosecutors opened an attempted murder investigation Sunday, Nov. 1, after rioters threw Molotov cocktails at security personnel during demonstrations in the French capital, injuring four police officers and one gendarme, including three who suffered burns from incendiary devices.
The investigation concerns allegations of “attempted homicide against persons holding public authority,” according to reporting by the French newspaper Le Figaro. The attacks occurred Saturday, Oct. 31, as nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and economic inequality entered their third consecutive weekend.
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French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez characterized the throwing of a Molotov cocktail at a member of the security forces as an “attempted murder,” condemning violence that he attributed to far-left extremist groups operating alongside the demonstrations.
The most serious incident occurred near Porte de Charenton in Paris’ 12th arrondissement, where an incendiary device exploded at the feet of security personnel during confrontations between officers and groups of rioters.
Photographs and video footage captured by Agence France-Presse showed a homemade incendiary device igniting near a line of officers, setting part of a gendarme’s protective equipment on fire. Fellow officers intervened, and the injured gendarme reportedly continued working after receiving assistance.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, explosive devices were thrown toward approximately 15 gendarmes and additional police personnel during the disturbances. Investigators were examining the circumstances of the attacks and working to identify those responsible.
The prosecutor’s office assigned the investigation to Paris territorial security authorities. As of the announcement Sunday, no suspect had been arrested specifically in connection with the attempted homicide investigation.
Officials were also assessing the extent of injuries sustained during the violence. Initial reports indicated that some personnel suffered second-degree burns or ringing in the ears following explosions, although medical assessments remained ongoing.
The Paris Police Prefecture confirmed that five members of the security forces had been injured during the unrest. Three injuries were attributed to Molotov cocktails, while the other two occurred during confrontations with demonstrators.
Nuñez condemned what he described as an extraordinary level of violence directed at officers and said authorities would pursue those responsible for the attacks.
The incidents unfolded as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities across France to protest rising living expenses, economic inequality and government policies. The Oct. 31 mobilization marked the third consecutive Saturday of nationwide demonstrations.
Although many marches proceeded peacefully, confrontations developed in Paris and other cities as groups of individuals threw projectiles, damaged property and clashed with security personnel.
French officials distinguished the larger protest movement from groups involved in violence. Nuñez blamed far-left extremists for some of the attacks, although investigators had not publicly established the political affiliations of every individual involved.
The government deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide to manage the demonstrations and respond to potential disturbances.
In Paris, authorities conducted thousands of checks and detained dozens of people as tensions increased near the conclusion of the march. By 9 p.m. Saturday, the Paris Police Prefecture reported 5,745 checks and 79 arrests in the capital.
Nationwide, the Interior Ministry reported 565 arrests by the same evening, compared with 768 recorded at the end of the previous Saturday’s demonstrations and 385 during the Oct. 17 protests.
Authorities also conducted approximately 40,000 preventive checks across France, including 15,000 in the greater Paris area.
Security operations extended beyond the capital as confrontations were reported in Grenoble and Marseille. In Marseille, police used tear gas and crowd-control equipment after disturbances developed following an otherwise largely peaceful demonstration.
Despite the violence, French authorities reported that conditions in the Paris metropolitan area had returned to relative calm by approximately 9 p.m. Saturday.
The unrest comes ahead of another nationwide day of strikes and demonstrations scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, when labor organizations are expected to mobilize over economic conditions and public policy.
Student organizations have also called for blockades of educational institutions on Tuesday and Thursday, increasing concerns about further disruptions and possible confrontations with police.
The attempted homicide investigation remains focused on identifying those responsible for throwing incendiary devices at security personnel during Saturday’s demonstrations. Prosecutors have not announced charges against any individual in connection with the attack.
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