Far-left arsonist charged with attempted murder of police officer after Limoges town hall blaze
Hodei Ciarra Docampo, 34, faces attempted murder charges after allegedly setting fire to Limoges City Hall during France's riots. Over 2,000 arrested as unrest left hundreds of officers injured.
Far-left suspect in Limoges town hall fire now faces attempted murder charge
A man accused of setting fire to Limoges City Hall during France's recent wave of civil unrest is now being prosecuted for the attempted murder of a police officer, cnn.com reports. Hodei Ciarra Docampo, 34, described by authorities as a far-left extremist, had already been facing arson charges after he allegedly torched the 143-year-old building, causing its spire and clock tower to collapse under the flames.
The new attempted murder charge marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against Docampo, who was amongst more than 2,000 people detained following some of the most violent nights France has seen in recent years.
Riots erupt after largely peaceful protests
The unrest broke out after what had initially been largely peaceful anti-government demonstrations descended into widespread rioting. Some 550,000 protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, including 110,000 in Paris, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. Organisers claimed the turnout was considerably higher.
The rallies grew from student-led protests that swept parts of France in recent weeks, fuelled by anger over crumbling schools, a rising cost of living, and a sense that successive governments have failed to act. The movement has come to represent what many describe as long-simmering, intergenerational frustration with political and social stagnation.
"There's an accumulation of wealth and power that's completely out of control," one protester, who gave her name as Pauline, told CNN in Paris. Louise, 38, echoed those concerns: "There are billionaires who control the media. We are fighting to change things."
Buildings torched, shops looted
As night fell on Saturday, groups of young people looted shops and set fires across Paris, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. Alexandre Bompard, chief executive of retail giant Carrefour, said on Sunday that around 1,500 stores across the country had been affected by violence.
In Limoges, the historic town hall was set ablaze on Saturday, with footage showing its spire buckling under the flames. In Marseille, masked protesters dressed in black broke into city hall and defaced the building. In Lyon, demonstrators torched the city's tourist office.
Nunez confirmed that more than 600 police officers had been injured, adding that "nothing can justify" the unrest. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned what he called "unacceptable levels of violence" and was set to meet the mayors of Paris, Lyon and Marseille, who called for greater reinforcement to help repair the damage.
At least two deaths reported
At least two deaths were connected to the weekend's rioting and protests. One protester died just north of Paris following a cardiorespiratory arrest, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV, citing Paris Police headquarters. A second man reportedly died on Sunday night in the Châtelet district of the French capital, according to Le Parisien newspaper. Police investigations into both deaths remain ongoing.
Macron addresses nation
President Emmanuel Macron addressed France on Sunday evening, vowing to hold those responsible for the destruction to account.
"Those who destroyed must pay," Macron said. "Those who looted must pay back. Those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable."
Macron attributed the violence to what he called "seditious elements from far-left factions, joined by numerous delinquents," and drew a sharp distinction between peaceful demonstrators and those who resorted to destruction. "Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots demonstrated to state legitimate claims," he said. "Never must we confuse the latter with those who destroyed and vandalised."
The president added that he had asked the government to convene stakeholders — including students, teachers and trade unionists — to discuss "concrete proposals" in response to public grievances.
Police response faces scrutiny
The authorities' handling of the weeks of protest has itself attracted criticism. Earlier in the week, a 14-year-old boy suffered a fractured jaw following a police intervention. In the north-western town of Alençon, a police officer was filmed applying a headlock on a girl — a technique now prohibited by law.
A protester in Saint-Étienne, around 40 miles south-west of Lyon, lost his hand during a march on Saturday, a police source told BFMTV. It was the second such case reported during the current wave of unrest. Earlier this month, a student in Lens lost his hand after reportedly picking up a stun grenade. That incident had prompted the temporary suspension of one type of grenade by police — a ban that has since been rescinded.
The Paris Police Prefecture said its officers had stood "their ground with courage and professionalism" throughout the disorder, insisting the force would not "back down in the face of rioters."
Source: The Sun