French prosecutors have opened an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at police during unrest in Paris, French media reported.
An image of a police officer with his leg on fire during a clash with protesters in Paris on Saturday has prompted outrage. The officer, part of the National Gendarmerie, suffered burns to his ankle and minor injuries to his hand. He told Le Figaro the device was a "particularly sophisticated" incendiary device that "had a far greater burning capacity than a standard Molotov cocktail." Police had not yet identified the liquid used.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said throwing a molotov cocktail at a police line was "what I call a murder attempt." He said officers were working to find the perpetrators. According to AFP, police said no one had been arrested for the attack.
The officer said his unit "suddenly found ourselves facing several hundred hostile, well equipped adversaries." He said fourteen other officers were wounded, some by paving stones.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated across France on Saturday in largely peaceful protests, according to the report. The French interior ministry said more than 770 people were arrested, roughly half the number from the previous week's protests. Officers fired tear gas at demonstrators in some cities.
The protests are part of a youth-led movement that began in late September, demanding action on the high cost of living and poor public services, especially schools. Protest organisers, the Gilets Jaunes, said dozens of protesters have been seriously injured during recent demonstrations, many by "grenades." Le Monde reported that police have continued to use a type of stun grenade after France suspended one model in early October following an injury to a 15-year-old.
Protests also took place in Germany and Italy over the weekend, the report said.