French Prosecutors Open Attempted Murder Probe Following Petrol Bomb Attacks on Police During Protests

French prosecutors have launched an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces during demonstrations in Paris on Saturday. The inquiry was opened for the attempted murder of persons vested with public authority, according to the prosecutor’s office, after explosive devices were hurled at approximately 15 police officers and military police gendarmes.

The demonstrations formed part of a third weekend of protests across France over soaring living costs and deteriorating public services. The Paris police prefecture reported that several hundred rioters attacked security officers with projectiles, including Molotov cocktails. Video footage from the event captured a homemade incendiary device exploding at the feet of a protective-gear-clad security officer, engulfing his lower body in flames.

An anonymous gendarme who spoke to broadcaster RTL stated that his unit was under assault from glass bottles, paving stones, glass shards and firebombs. He described the flammable substance as exceptionally greasy, noting that his riot uniform's leg and shin protections melted during the incident. Prosecutors stated that an assessment of injuries was ongoing, with reported injuries including second-degree burns, while the gendarmerie reported that 13 members of the affected officer's unit sustained injuries.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the level of violence perpetrated by some participants as extraordinary, though noting that the overall unrest was less widespread than previous weeks. The demonstrations in Paris occurred alongside rallies in other French cities including Marseille, Grenoble, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse. Across Europe, similar youth-led protests over education, housing and living costs also sparked clashes and security responses in countries including Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Albania.