Petrol bomb attack triggers murder probe in Paris as European unrest spreads

The Paris prosecutor's office launched a formal investigation for attempted murder of public officials after masked rioters threw incendiary devices at a group of approximately 15 gendarmes and police officers. The incident occurred on Saturday night in the French capital and resulted in second-degree burns, injuries that were captured on video and broadcast on local television.

This latest escalation follows an estimated 320,000 demonstrators who took to the streets across France, including in Marseille, Grenoble, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Toulouse. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez characterized the violence as extraordinary, noting that more than 770 people were arrested. The number of arrests was lower than the 2,600 detained on October 17, a date that saw up to 3,000 shops pillaged in one of the worst nights of urban unrest in recent French history.

Similar scenes of destruction unfolded in Germany, where the financial hub of Frankfurt saw hooded rioters damage 17 shops and loot five of them. Roman Poseck, the state interior minister for Hesse, reported that more than 100 of the 1,300 deployed officers were injured. He stated that police faced between 1,000 and 1,500 violent troublemakers, with 54 suspects aged 13 to 29 taken into custody. National Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that tough penalties must follow the breach of the peace, singling out violent leftwing groups and troublemakers from the migrant community.

In Portugal, the housing crisis drove thousands to set up camps in Lisbon, specifically on Rossio Square. Riot police cleared the camp at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Sunday using baton charges and dogs. The protesters are demanding that the minority center-right government withdraw a bill that facilitates evictions and ends rent caps on new leases. A smaller camp in Porto was also cleared by force.

Violence extended to Switzerland, where unauthorized demonstrations in Zurich and Basel ended in clashes. In Zurich, police used water cannon, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse rioters who attacked with fireworks and stones. In Basel, approximately 150 protesters gathered in the city center around 9 p.m., smashing shop windows and setting fire to electric bikes and rubbish bins. Incidents were also reported in Geneva.

Albania experienced its own surge in unrest, with masked protesters throwing stones and firebombs at police in Tirana. The interior ministry reported that 350 people were hurt in the protests, including 200 police officers, with 269 minors arrested. The demonstrations there demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over perceived corruption.

The Gen Z regelt campaign, which led protests in over 30 German cities, posted a statement distancing itself from the violence. In France, the protests were driven by concerns over the education system, public services, and the cost of living. In Germany, the same campaign demanded better education and lower living costs. The next phase of legal proceedings in France will focus on identifying the specific individuals involved in the attempted murder in Paris.