First Sentences Handed Down After Weekend Riots in Paris

Paris (ANTARA) – French authorities have handed down initial sentences to several people involved in a mass demonstration that erupted into riots in Paris on Saturday (17 October), BFMTV reported on Monday (19 October).

Some people arrested for violence during the demonstration have been tried under an expedited court procedure.

One was a 21-year-old chef and former firefighter. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, two months of which he must serve behind bars.

The chef had been arrested before the protest began. He was found carrying eight bottles of alcoholic drinks in his bag, and videos on his phone showed him throwing a Molotov cocktail the previous day.

A 23-year-old security guard was also given a one-year suspended prison sentence. He was additionally barred from possessing weapons or taking part in demonstrations for one year.

The security guard was arrested for using pyrotechnics while confronting a police officer on the Champs-Élysées.

According to BFMTV, neither man had a previous criminal record.

Protests began in France in mid-September, when secondary-school pupils in the suburbs of Paris took to the streets to demand improvements to their school education system.

They were later joined by people angered by rising prices in France, and the demonstrations spread to other parts of the country.

On Saturday (17 October), nationwide demonstrations reached their largest scale, before turning into riots and acts of vandalism. France’s Interior Ministry said about 550,000 people took part.

During the weekend protests, looters stormed shops, smashed windows and stole merchandise, including goods from luxury-brand boutiques, particularly in Paris and Marseille.