Demonstration of October 17: two demonstrators injured in Marseille file a complaint

Two demonstrators seriously injured in the lower limbs during the social mobilization of October 17 in Marseille filed a complaint on Monday against

The public prosecutor's office confirmed that it had opened an investigation into the filing of a complaint by these two women - aged 21 and 31 - who suffered injuries that may have come from "disencirclement grenades" used by the police, as indicated in the complaint, citing witnesses in particular. According to their advisor Pierre Brunisso, they are on leave “for several months”, after having suffered “war injuries”. “The shots probably came from a launcher, because the police officers were at a distance of at least 70 meters,” notes the lawyer who came to file the complaint Monday with the public prosecutor of Marseille.

“Open fracture of the left foot” and “a grenade fragment” in the leg

The 31-year-old complainant, who was prescribed 30 days of incapacity for work, has an “open fracture of the left foot” of 11 cm, according to her medical certificate included in the complaint. The 21-year-old complainant underwent an operation to remove “a fragment of a de-encirclement grenade” embedded in her leg which had a hole measuring 6 cm in diameter. Her surgeon informed her of a permanent after-effect, specifies the complaint, consulted by AFP and which contains impressive images of the injuries of the two complainants. However, the definitive health damage to the two women has not yet been established. A third woman, aged 35, suffering from a wound on her ankle, did not wish to file a complaint.

Including these two complaints, the Marseille prosecutor's office opened six investigations concerning possible violence by police officers against demonstrators during the day of mobilization of October 17, when the demonstration against the high cost of living was followed by numerous looting of businesses. In total, 14 investigations were opened by the prosecutor's office into "aggravated intentional violence" following complaints or reports issued since the start of the high school movement and during the demonstrations of October 17, 24 and 31. No investigation has so far been opened concerning the day of mobilization of November 7. In detail, the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) was contacted nine times and more local levels of the police were contacted five times.