A suspect was indicted after the arson of the porch of the town hall of Bordeaux Thursday evening, on the sidelines of the demonstration against the pension reform, announced the prosecution this Saturday.
Protesters set fire to the entrance to the building on Thursday evening, during the ninth day of mobilization against the government’s project. The fire had lasted about fifteen minutes, damaging the massive wooden door of the building, before being extinguished by firefighters.
On Friday, the prosecution announced that it had placed five people in police custody after the fire. He indicated that one of the suspects had been seen “throwing a garbage can on fire” to “feed the fireplace” and arrested near the town hall.
The public prosecutor said in a press release that he had also requested the “placement in provisional detention” of this man “against whom there were serious and concordant indications of participation in these facts”.
“Participation in the facts of the fire” has not, however, been “sufficiently established at this stage” against the four other people placed in police custody, added the prosecution. For three of them, adults, he requested an appearance Monday before the criminal court for “participation in an armed crowd and with the face partially or totally concealed”. The last of the five in custody, who is a minor, “has also been referred for judgment on guilt before the juvenile court,” said the prosecution.
16 injured Thursday on the sidelines of the demonstration
Thursday’s demonstration brought together between 18,000 and 110,000 people in Bordeaux, according to the prefecture and the inter-union. For the first time since the beginning of the movement against the pension reform as part of a declared procession, tear gas was used Thursday in Bordeaux by the police against groups of masked young people throwing projectiles and putting fire at barricades.
These incidents resulted in 16 minor injuries according to the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office, including 12 police officers. Nine people, all adults, were arrested for excesses on the sidelines of the demonstration and were referred this Saturday, said the prosecution.
King Charles III of England was to be received next Tuesday at Bordeaux City Hall, but the Élysée announced Friday the cancellation of his visit.