One-Year-Old Injured as Violent Protests Grip France
A toddler sustained injuries from a firework during widespread student demonstrations against the nation's economic conditions.
A one-year-old child was struck by a firework in a stroller outside Paris on Tuesday amidst escalating student protests across France, which saw approximately 450,000 people take to the streets.
The incident occurred in Santi-Cyr-l’Ecole, a suburb of Versailles, when a firework hit the child's stroller. The infant was transported to a hospital and treated for tinnitus. A high school student participating in the protests was subsequently arrested, according to French media outlet RMC radio.
This event marks another instance of civilians being caught in the crossfire of the ongoing unrest. In a separate incident, a 16-year-old student was arrested after allegedly dousing a science teacher with gasoline near the La Méditerranée high school.
Footage from the incident shows a fire blazing in the street after individuals set fire to a tree outside the school. The teacher attempted to disperse the students, but one threw gasoline at him before kicking him and fleeing. Reports indicate that several teachers and headmasters have been subjected to similar attacks involving gasoline in recent weeks.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray reported that 24 schools have been severely damaged by fire or vandalism, necessitating closures for several weeks and impacting an estimated 30,000 students. According to the French students' union, at least 2,000 schools were blockaded or closed on Wednesday, marking the largest day of protests in the current wave.
The demonstrations, initially focused on addressing conditions within France's underfunded education system, have evolved into widespread riots, described as some of the most intense in decades. Police have employed tear gas and water cannons against protesters, leading to over 6,500 arrests.
Earlier in the week, a 15-year-old's hand was reportedly severed by a police stun grenade, fueling further outrage against the government's response. Protesters in Paris chanted slogans such as "We are all anti-fascists" and displayed "ACAB" signs. A banner in Paris read, "A state that gasses high school students is a weak state."
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the police response, stating that police actions are a direct result of "urban violence."