Prosecutors in France have opened an attempted murder investigation after a petrol bomb was thrown at police officers during recent unrest, according to French media. The incident, which occurred Saturday in Paris, saw an officer suffer burns to his ankle and minor injuries to his hand.
The injured officer described the device as "particularly sophisticated" and possessing a "far greater burning capacity than a standard Molotov cocktail." He told Le Figaro that his unit encountered "several hundred hostile, well equipped adversaries" and that "these adversaries are there with the intent to harm those who represent the state."
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez characterized the act of throwing a petrol bomb at police as an "attempted murder" and stated that authorities are working to identify the perpetrators. No arrests had been made in connection with this specific attack as of Sunday, AFP reported.
In total, 14 other officers sustained injuries during the clashes, some from being struck by paving stones. The officers had been urgently recalled from leave to manage the weekend protests. Several hundred thousand people demonstrated across France over the weekend in largely peaceful, youth-led protests that began in late September. These demonstrations have focused on the high cost of living and the quality of public services, particularly in schools.
Over the weekend, thousands of police officers were deployed nationwide, and tear gas was used in some cities. The French interior ministry reported more than 770 arrests on Saturday, a decrease from the previous week. Organizers of the Yellow Vest movement, which has been involved in recent demonstrations, claim dozens of protesters have been seriously injured, with many hurt by stun grenades. France suspended the use of one type of stun grenade earlier in October after a 15-year-old's hand was severely injured, though reports indicate a different model has been used in subsequent protests. Similar protests also occurred in Germany and Italy over the weekend, broadly linked to cost-of-living concerns and public service issues.