Paris resident pours boiling water on protesters during riots in French capital

Resident's reaction to looting

During mass protests in France that escalated into unrest and riots, an incident was recorded in Paris where a local resident confronted participants in illegal activities. A video published on social media shows a man watching the events on the street from his window. Seeing hooded protesters destroying property, he goes into his apartment, returns with a pot, presumably filled with hot water, and pours it over the crowd.

According to the Daily Star, following this incident, protesters dressed in black hurriedly left the scene. The incident took place over the weekend, when waves of violence swept through the French capital.

Scale of unrest and police action

According to police data, 855 people were detained in one of the districts of Paris on 18 October. The detentions occurred after demonstrators looted shops. In addition, groups of masked protesters attacked public buildings, including town halls and local government offices.

Official data indicates that approximately 550,000 people participated in protests across France. Meanwhile, organisers of the actions claim that the number reached approximately 800,000 people.

Impact on infrastructure and personnel

Paris police reported one fatal case: a man died of a heart attack. Thirteen police officers and gendarmes, as well as two firefighters, were injured.

After the protests ended on Sunday, significant infrastructure damage was recorded in the area around the Republic Square: torn-up paving stones, broken shop windows, and shattered glass.

The mayors of France's three largest cities — Paris, Marseille, and Lyon — requested a meeting with the country's prime minister. The appeal states that this is necessary "given the scale of the damage and the seriousness of the situation".