(Adnkronos) – On Saturday during demonstrations in France, “a total of 1,435 people were stopped”. Among these, more than one hundred were stopped for possession of weapons usable as improvised weapons. This was announced by the French Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez. “The day was under control and no serious incidents occurred. This does not mean that we did not record a very high level of violence against law enforcement with 267 police officers and gendarmes injured,” the minister stated on Rmc/BfmTv. During checks on people heading to the demonstrations, law enforcement seized “several dozens” of objects, including knives, pétanque balls, glass marbles, slingshots, various weapons and, of course, pyrotechnic mortars, the minister explained. Law enforcement “are attacked in circumstances that, very often, resemble actual attempted murders, it must be said,” he stressed.
According to the minister, it is estimated that about 150 demonstrators were injured, three of whom are in “rather serious” condition in Toulouse, Reims, and Clermont-Ferrand. The incidents occurred “during police interventions, in a context of extreme violence.” The minister also specified that investigations are underway by the Igpn, the police oversight body, “as happens every time.”
On Saturday, between 410,000 and 800,000 people demonstrated in France to demand an improvement in purchasing power and to defend public services. “In the coming days, the situation will not change,” Nunez observed. For this reason, the curfews imposed by prefects in agreement with mayors will continue to be applied. Calls have been launched for new demonstrations on Saturday, October 31. “We expect the situation to be complicated again and for there to be another big day of mobilization. For this reason, we will prepare an extremely robust security system,” Nunez assured, recalling that “Halloween night is traditionally always quite lively.”
