Over 500 injured in France's Yellow Vests protests on Saturday
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says 267 law enforcement officers, more than 250 protesters injured during nationwide demonstrations
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- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says 267 law enforcement officers, more than 250 protesters injured during nationwide demonstrations
By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) - More than 500 people were injured during Yellow Vests demonstrations across France on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Monday.
Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV, Nunez said they include 267 law enforcement officers and over 250 protesters.
At least 1,435 people were detained nationwide over the weekend during protests against the rising cost of living, he added.
Despite the injuries and arrests, the minister said no major incidents occurred during Saturday's demonstrations.
He said three people were seriously injured in the cities of Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.
Nunez also defended partial curfews imposed in several French cities, saying prefects had the authority to introduce restrictions when there was a risk of disturbances to public order.
"The situation will not change much in the coming days," he said.
Partial curfews remain in force in around 10 locations across the country and will continue to be implemented by prefectural authorities in coordination with local municipalities, he added.
Addressing clashes involving groups opposed to the Yellow Vests movement in Nice and Montpellier on Saturday, Nunez said police had not protected those groups.
He also acknowledged mistakes in the authorities' handling of the previous wave of Yellow Vests demonstrations on Oct. 17.
Separately, Nunez commented on an attack in Trappes, in the Yvelines department, on Friday, describing it as a racially motivated act of terrorism.
"What happened in Trappes is extremely serious. It was a racist terrorist attack," he said.
The perpetrator had sought to kill people of foreign origin whom he believed should not be integrated into French society, Nunez said.
He stressed that the possibility of the attacker having schizophrenia would not change the classification of the incident as terrorism.
"He was driven by hatred and racism, and that is why he killed. This is terrorism," he added.
Necva Taştan Sevinç