France launches 'attempted murder' probe after Molotov cocktail attacks on riot police

The investigation began after violent attacks during Saturday’s protests in Paris and other French cities. Prosecutors said explosive devices were thrown at about 15 gendarmes and police officers. One homemade incendiary device struck a security officer and engulfed his lower body in flames. The case was opened for attempted murder of persons vested with public authority.

The officer said his unit faced bottles, paving stones, glass shards and firebombs. The firebomb’s greasy flammable substance spread across his skin. His protective leg and shin coverings melted, although he suffered only minor injuries. The gendarmerie said 13 members of his unit were injured.

The investigation matters because the alleged attacks were not treated as ordinary disorder. They potentially involved deliberate attempts to cause fatal harm to security personnel. No suspects had been arrested when the article was published. Investigators were working to identify those responsible, while prosecutors continued assessing injuries, including reported second-degree burns.

The article does not define a Molotov cocktail. Generally, it is a homemade incendiary device made from a breakable container holding flammable liquid, with a material that can ignite it. When the container breaks, burning fuel spreads over a wider area than a small flame would.

That mechanism explains the officer’s injuries. He said the substance was so greasy that it spread across his skin. His riot uniform’s leg and shin protections melted. The device exploded at his feet and engulfed his lower body in flames. The same fire can ignite clothing, equipment, vehicles or buildings.

Molotov cocktails are especially dangerous because their effects are sudden and difficult to control. The officer suffered minor injuries, but prosecutors reported second-degree burns among the injuries under assessment. The incident also raised fears of a larger catastrophe. The investigation therefore treats the device as a potentially lethal attack, not merely a protest projectile.

The article provides two different figures, so they should not be combined as though they measure the same thing. Prosecutors said explosive devices were thrown at around 15 gendarmes as well as police officers. This is a figure for people targeted, and it does not state how many were police or how many gendarmes.

A separate report from the gendarmerie said 13 members of the officer’s unit were injured. The officer struck by the Molotov cocktail received minor injuries. Prosecutors also said the injury assessment was continuing and included reports of second-degree burns. The article does not give a complete final total.

The clearest answer is therefore that around 15 gendarmes and police officers were targeted, while 13 members of one gendarmerie unit were reported injured. These figures may overlap, but the article does not explain the exact relationship. Further assessment could clarify the overall number and severity of injuries.

The article gives the investigation’s formal wording but does not explain every legal requirement. In general, an investigation for “attempted murder of persons vested with public authority” means prosecutors are examining whether someone intentionally tried to kill officials who were exercising public authority. The suspected victims here were police officers and gendarmes.

The alleged conduct included throwing explosive devices at security forces during a protest. One Molotov cocktail hit an officer, setting his lower body on fire. Other objects included glass bottles, paving stones and shards of glass. The officer’s protective equipment melted, and prosecutors reported possible second-degree burns among the injuries.

Opening this investigation does not prove guilt or establish that anyone will be convicted. It authorizes a formal effort to determine what happened, who was responsible and whether the evidence meets the legal threshold for charges. No suspects had been arrested at the time. Investigators were still working to identify those responsible.

Opening an investigation starts a formal search for facts. Prosecutors can collect statements, medical findings and other evidence to establish what happened. In this case, investigators were assessing injuries, including reported second-degree burns, and examining an attack involving explosive devices and a Molotov cocktail.

The article does not list specific identification methods. Investigators would generally compare video footage with witness accounts, examine the devices and clothing, and look for fingerprints or other forensic clues. The officer’s footage helped reveal the attack’s intensity, while his account described the bottles, stones, glass and firebombs thrown at the unit.

Investigators then seek to connect identified individuals to the alleged acts. Prosecutors decide whether the evidence supports formal charges under the suspected offence. At publication, no suspects had been arrested. The immediate next step was identifying those responsible and completing the injury assessment, rather than announcing convictions or final charges.

The protests began as large demonstrations against soaring living costs, police violence and racism. Hundreds of thousands of people participated peacefully in Paris and other cities. Those concerns formed the broad public backdrop, while the later violence involved a smaller group of rioters attacking security forces.

In Paris, several hundred rioters reportedly threw projectiles at police and gendarmes. The objects included paving stones, glass shards, bottles and Molotov cocktails. About 15 gendarmes and police officers were targeted with explosive devices. One firebomb struck an officer, whose protective clothing melted as flames spread across his lower body.

The clashes were less widespread than those two weeks earlier, when France had experienced some of its worst unrest in years. Even so, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the violence by some participants “extraordinary.” The protests therefore combined peaceful mass demonstrations with dangerous confrontations, prompting prosecutors to open an attempted-murder investigation.

The article does not explain the institutional differences. In established French practice, the police are civilian national forces, while the gendarmerie is a military-status force. Both perform public-security duties, including maintaining order during major demonstrations. Their separate structures allow authorities to draw on different units and personnel.

The article shows both forces operating during the protests. Prosecutors said explosive devices were thrown at around 15 gendarmes as well as police officers. One gendarmerie unit was recalled from leave before the protests, and 13 members were reported injured. The officer described attacks with bottles, paving stones, glass shards and firebombs.

Deploying both forces can provide more personnel and specialized public-order capacity when demonstrations spread across cities. Here, clashes occurred in Paris and elsewhere, although they were less widespread than two weeks earlier. The violence still led to an attempted-murder investigation and continued efforts to identify suspects.