An eventful evening in Mantes-la-Jolie in the Yvelines, Friday 12 January. Firefighters in intervention were the target of projectiles thrown, sources told Le Figaro, confirming the information from Le Parisien. In return, the firefighters retaliated by chasing their attackers.
The incident took place around 20 p.m. Firefighters are called to garbage fires in the sensitive Val Fourré district. On the spot, they were targeted by a gang of young people from the city who threw stones and mortars in their direction while shouting insults, a police source told Le Figaro.
The firefighters tried to create a dialogue with the young people, while protecting equipment and personnel, but the situation did not calm down. While firefighters are not supposed to respond when attacked, several firefighters then engage in a chase with their attackers.
'Fed up'
In videos widely circulated on social networks, one of them, with a dozen kilos of uniform on his back, can be seen running after an individual. "It looks like an ambush, unfortunately it's not the first time," the police source said.
This reaction is an illustration of the "general discontent" that prevails among firefighters. They are tired of being targeted, "reacts to the Figaro Eric Brocardi, director of communication at the National Federation of Firefighters of France. He added: "The uniform is tired of being attacked."
The CRS 8, which specialises in urban riots, was deployed to the area on Saturday to calm the situation, according to our sources.
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These young people are not aware that these are the same people who could intervene if there is a fire in their home," a resident told RMC. It is not known at this time if any suspects have since been arrested.