Protester injured during demonstration

A protester suffered a serious hand injury during a demonstration in Clermont-Ferrand on Saturday, October 24. The incident occurred amid a protest that had drawn significant public attention and raised concerns about the safety of participants.

Investigation launched into injury cause

The prosecutor's office announced on Sunday, October 25, the opening of an investigation to determine the causes of the injury, indicating that it "could have been caused by a grenade launched by the police." This hypothesis is supported by a video widely shared on X, which shows a projectile resembling a grenade falling among a group of protesters.

Video shows grenade-like object falling

The video, viewed millions of times, depicts an object falling from above around 4:30 p.m. near a group of protesters, landing approximately one meter away from several individuals. The type of device and its origin have not yet been identified, leaving many questions about the incident unanswered.

Witness accounts describe grenade impact

A protester interviewed described the scene, stating that a friend was injured by what he described as a grenade, which left him with numerous scratches. Another person nearby reportedly was deafened by the explosion. The injured protester's clothing matches that of a protester visible in the grenade video, though the link between the two scenes has not been officially confirmed.

TikTok creator describes grenade sounds

Ilias, a TikTok creator broadcasting a live stream nearby, reported hearing a "muffled sound I had never heard before" at 4:09 p.m., followed by smoke and a crowd movement. He claimed two grenades went off, one very loud and the other less so, and deduced that one of them injured the protester seen in the second video.

Injured protester treated for multiple injuries

A second video shows the injured protester being treated by street medics. Ilhan, one of the medics, stated that his team treated two head traumas, a hand injury, and a broken arm. He reported that the injured protester mentioned a grenade had landed on him. The protester was taken to the hospital and will require multiple operations on his hand.

Prefecture report mentions dispersal maneuver

The prefecture of Puy-de-Dôme mentioned in its 6 p.m. situation report a "dispersal maneuver" conducted by internal security forces around 4 p.m., approximately the time the grenade video was recorded according to several witnesses. The report noted a gathering on Place Delille despite a ban on gatherings in the city center, and the groups eventually moved to Place de Jaude.

Report omits mention of grenades

The report also mentioned the throwing of projectiles and trash fires but did not specify whether these occurred before or after the dispersal maneuvers. The use of grenades was not mentioned in the report, and the prefecture was unable to provide clarification at this stage.