Paris Opens Attempted Murder Probe After Protest Firebomb Attack
Does this manufacture fear to justify a crackdown or simply name violence for what it is?
Story
Above: A French riot gendarme mobile has flames rising up his uniform after being hit by a Molotov cocktail in Paris on Oct. 31. Image credit: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images
The Facts
- Paris prosecutors opened an attempted murder probe Sunday after a petrol bomb was thrown at security forces on Saturday, saying explosive devices struck about 15 gendarmes and police officers. No suspects have been arrested.
- The attack happened at Porte de Charenton, where Saturday's march ended, and reported injuries included second-degree burns and tinnitus.
- Images from eastern Paris showed a homemade incendiary device exploding at the feet of an officer, setting his leg on fire, while a vehicle burned nearby and police fired tear gas.
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The Spin
Left narrative
Slapping an attempted murder label on a scrape is a wild stretch built to frighten the public rather than describe what actually happened. Looping the same few seconds of footage across every channel turns one chaotic moment into blanket justification for a crackdown. Hyped-up charges and wall-to-wall replays are how fear gets manufactured.
Right narrative
Hurling a firebomb at a human being is attempted murder, whatever banner the crowd happens to be marching under. Standing down while an officer burns tells every would-be rioter that the law stops wherever the mob starts. Demonstrating is a right, but the moment gasoline and flames show up, it stops being a protest and becomes criminal.
