Police officer burned by a Molotov cocktail jet: what protective clothing do the police wear during demonstrations?

The images are impressive. A gendarme was injured in the ankle after being hit by a Molotov cocktail in Paris during the October 31 demonstration. On a video shot by AFP and press photos, we see him with his leg on fire, walking away from the demonstrators. An investigation was opened this Sunday for “attempted homicide”, but the soldier’s injuries remain light, thanks to his protective gear.

The riots of May 68 are a long way away, when the gendarmes who faced the most violent demonstrators wore... ties. It was abandoned at the beginning of the 1970s because, in addition to limiting movement, it presented a risk of strangulation, explains the National Gendarmerie Museum. Law enforcement outfits have since expanded and become more technical to adapt to the threat and facilitate their work.

Fire protection clothing

“The limitless imagination (of the rioters) requires us to constantly review our ranges of protection against blows, projectiles, including incendiary ones, and abrasive materials,” we read in the Revue de la gendarmerie nationale. Thus, the outfit of the mobile gendarmes is now fireproof. But there remains a point of vulnerability: the flammable liquid can sometimes be introduced through the space between the shoes and the pants, the fire being able to then touch the skin, explains the gendarmerie to Le Figaro. On the police side, the CRS have similar equipment, also fireproof. When violence escalates, they can also wear fireproof hoods.

Moreover, the protective clothing used when maintaining order consists of protective gloves, leg guards, joint protection, a helmet and a bulletproof vest. The gendarmes and CRS can also use a gas mask if necessary, in particular to protect themselves from tear gas, and use shields or defensive weapons. The outfit must strike the right balance to protect soldiers while not hindering their mobility. These outfits must also not be too heavy, because they must be worn for long hours, says the gendarmerie.

Law enforcement officers are regularly targeted with Molotov cocktail throwing during scuffles on the sidelines of demonstrations. In 2017, during the May 1 parade in Paris, a CRS found himself caught in the flames and was seriously burned, particularly on the face and hands. On May 1, 2023, a police officer was again hit by a Molotov cocktail. Here again, his protective gear had helped limit his injuries.