Advertisement

French police tackle night of violence on Halloween

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
French police tackle night of violence on Halloween
A protest against mounting attacks on police in France, which took place last month. File photo: AFP

Police across France were kept busy by a series of 'tricks' on Halloween, with clashes breaking out in Yvelines and Rennes as vandals started fires and attacked officers.

Advertisement

Garbage cans and cars were torched in Rennes, Brittainy, with incidents reported throughout the night and only settling down around 6am.

According to firefighters, a total of 17 trash cans and three vehicles were set alight. When one team of firefighters were putting out a trash can fire - after saving lives from an apartment fire - a group of young people began throwing stones at them.

Bus routes were also diverted due to objects being thrown at vehicles and bus shelters. At around 8pm, a group of 50 youngsters were taken into police custody in connection with the incidents.

In Yvelines, in the Ile-de-France region, a bottle containing acid was thrown into the courtyard of a police station in Yvelines, according to Le Parisien.

There were further attacks on officers across the departement. Molotov cocktails were thrown at officers in Trappes and Meulan, while a police officer in Carrière-sous-Possy was injured after a group of young people threw stones at him.

As in Rennes, there were also reports of arson; 22 garbage cans were reportedly set on fire in Yvelines between 8 and 11pm.

2016 has seen police demonstrations across the country against a surge of "anti-cop hatred" which they say they have suffered at a series of anti-government protests in recent months.

Police in France have said they are at breaking point with the country having been in a state of emergency for a year following jihadist terror attacks in Paris last November.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also