Police watchdog probes serious chest injury to Lyon protest bystander
A 43-year-old man was seriously hurt in the chest on the margins of a Lyon protest on Saturday, prompting a police watchdog inquiry.
France's police watchdog, the IGPN, is investigating how a 43-year-old man suffered a serious chest injury on the margins of a protest in Lyon on Saturday, prosecutors said, confirming reports by several French outlets.
The man told the regional newspaper Le Progrès from his hospital bed that he had gone outside only to buy a sandwich near Place Jean-Macé when he found himself among protesters. He said he saw police officers throwing grenades before feeling a blow to his chest and starting to bleed heavily.
He was taken to Saint-Joseph hospital and underwent surgery after what he said was a projectile lodged in his chest, about two centimetres from his heart. He remained in intensive care on Tuesday. The Lyon prosecutor's office has not detailed the circumstances of the injury, and the inquiry will seek to establish what type of projectile struck him.
Separately, three minors were detained overnight in Rillieux-la-Pape, in the Lyon metropolitan area, after a gathering in which bins and a car were set alight and projectiles were thrown at police, BFMTV reported. The city's mayor, Alexandre Vincendet, said the parents of the three detained minors would be summoned to meet him.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 267 members of the security forces were injured, mostly lightly, during nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, along with 150 protesters, including three seriously hurt in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Le Figaro, Franceinfo A 43-year-old man was seriously injured in the chest near Place Jean-Macé in Lyon during Saturday's protests
- 2+ outlets · Le Figaro, Franceinfo France's IGPN police watchdog has opened an inquiry into the cause of his injuries
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo He underwent chest surgery and remained in intensive care as of Tuesday
- 1 outlet · BFMTV Nationwide, 267 police and 150 protesters were injured on Saturday, the interior minister said
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The exact type of projectile that struck the man
- Unconfirmed Whether police are responsible for the injury
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The case adds to scrutiny of police tactics during France's wave of cost-of-living protests, which have already produced hundreds of injuries and repeated clashes with security forces in recent weeks.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- BFMTV: INFO BFM LYON. Des poubelles incendiées et des forces de l'ordre visées par des projectiles à Rillieux-la-Pape, trois interpellations
- Le Figaro: « Ils m’ont enlevé un petit bout de poumon » : un passant grièvement blessé en marge des manifestations à Lyon, l’IGPN saisie
- Franceinfo: "J’ai juste voulu descendre pour m’acheter un sandwich" : l'IGPN saisie à Lyon après qu'un homme a été blessé au thorax en marge d'une manifestation
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened to the victim?
- A 43-year-old man suffered a serious chest injury near a Lyon protest and underwent surgery.
- Who is investigating?
- France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has been asked to establish the cause of the injury.
- How many people were hurt nationwide?
- The interior minister said 267 police and 150 protesters were injured in Saturday's demonstrations.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.