Recently, student protests broke out in several regions of France. On October 2nd local time, in a square in Marseille, a man wearing a black hoodie and with his face covered used a makeshift fire-extinguishing device to burn the left side of a woman's face from close range, before fleeing.
According to the statement of the victim’s friend, a group of high school students attempted to damage the bus stop at that time. The victim’s woman stepped forward to try to dissuade them, but was violently treated. A man in black clothes used a fire device to spray flames directly onto the woman’s face. The onlookers were so frightened that they screamed in panic.
After the incident, the victim woman submitted a report to the Marseille police.
Currently, the French police is investigating the whereabouts of the masked attacker, and the investigation related to the case is ongoing.
This round of student protests began in the Paris region in late September, and quickly spread to several cities in France. High school students are the main participants in this movement. Currently, some regions have also seen college students joining the demonstrations. However, some of the protests have gradually turned into violent incidents, including clashes, destruction of public property, and even arson.
According to Reuters reports on October 2nd local time, due to protests against issues related to education turning into violent incidents in some areas, it is expected that more than 400 schools in France will remain closed that day.
These protests have become increasingly violent, resulting in dozens of injuries and thousands of people arrested by the police.
A small segment of people engaged in radical and violent protests… We’re even unsure if they are truly high school students. French Justice Minister Damaskin said this on an RTL radio interview on 2nd. He added that since the protest began, there have been over 2000 arrests, with about two-thirds detained by police.
He also said, “The situation has evolved from a protest by high school students to an incident that disrupts public order. When people target buses and set fire to schools, it is no longer just a protest issue.”
French Education Minister Gérard Eddie Hervé stated on the evening of the 1st that over 400 schools and other educational institutions will continue to close on the 2nd.
