Physics teacher sprayed with petrol at La Ciotat, teenager arrested
A physics teacher was sprayed with petrol and struck by a student during a school blockade at La Ciotat. The young attacker was arrested by police.
Assault during a blockade at La Ciotat
Thierry Laurent, a physics teacher at La Méditerranée secondary school in La Ciotat, was sprayed with petrol and struck by a student on Friday during an attempted mediation. The teacher was attempting to extinguish a tree fire that had been lit as part of a school blockade when the assault occurred. According to Le Figaro, the student in question was arrested by law enforcement.
The teacher received numerous messages of support from his students, former students, parents, the school administration and colleagues. "It is very moving and I have not yet had time to respond to all the messages," he told the newspaper. Laurent is still struggling to recover from the incident and the media attention it has generated. Images of the assault were widely shared on social media.
The teacher deplores the "harmful" conduct of some young people involved in the blockades and calls for everyone to take responsibility. A police captain reportedly told the teacher that he had deliberately put himself in danger by intervening. The investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the assault and the legal consequences for the young attacker.
Source: Le Figaro