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Agence France-Presse

A French minister said Sunday he had “no regrets” over the handling of the “yellow vest” protests, even if stun grenades and rubber bullets cost some demonstrators a hand or an eye.
Junior interior minister Laurent Nunez’s comments came as a group of people who said they had been mutilated while taking part in the anti-government protests marched in Paris.
“We have no regrets over the way that we have handled public order and public safety,” Nunez told broadcaster RTL/LCI.
“When there is an attack on the police and there is a proportionate response, yes there can be injuries,” said Nunez.
“It’s not because a hand has been blown off, because an eye has been blinded, that the violence is illegal. I’m not apologising, I’m leaving it to the justice system of my country,” he added.
The French authorities have been criticised sharply for their handling of the protests.

Six months after a spontaneous revolt in rural and small-town France began against President Emmanuel Macron, the often violent protests by people wearing fluorescent yellow vests still continue ever Saturday.
Nunez described the yellow vest protests as an “unprecedented crisis”, the likes of which France had not faced in 50 or 60 years.
Despite that, he added, “overall, things went well so far as public order is concerned”.
Between 300 and 400 people took part in what they called a “march of the mutilated” in Paris Sunday, denouncing the police use of stun grenades and rubber bullets.
A number of protesters – and some bystanders – have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded.




Overall since the protests began on November 17, 2,448 demonstrators and 1,797 police and gendarmes have been injured during the marches, according to interior ministry figures released on May 13.
On Thursday, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told Le Parisien newspaper that any police involved in unwarranted violence against yellow vest protesters would be in court by the end of the year.
Heitz said there had been more than 170 cases of police violence reviewed, with 57 of them completed and awaiting a decision whether to prosecute.
On Friday, government spokesman Sibeth Ndiaye told French broadcaster LCI that police officers who used unjustified violence had to be punished.

Nunez on Sunday said very few police officers were under investigation and even fewer such cases were being picked up by the prosecutor to take to court.
“A prosecution does not mean there will be a conviction,” and where there was a conviction, there would be an appeal, he added.
“I have every confidence in the police and the gendarmes of this country … we know that they have used force in a proportionate way in most cases, and force has only been used when it has been in response to violent attacks against themselves or against our institutions.”
The position of the interior ministry had always been that if there had been mistakes made in the use of force, there would be sanctions, he added – but that was in “an infinitesimal number of cases”.
In March, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for a “full investigation” into the possible use of excessive force by French police during the yellow vest protests.


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France

French minister Laurent Nunez says he has ‘no regrets’ over handling of ‘yellow vest’ protests despite number of serious injuries

Protesters, some of them claiming to have been seriously injured during the last six months Yellow Vest demonstrations, hold a placard reading in French “Join our forces for a more just world”. Photo: AFP

French Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez speaks during a session of questions to the Government at the French National Assembly in Paris, on May 29, 2019. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP)

Yellow vest protestor holds a placard with a portrait of French President Emmanuel Macron during a march, in Paris, Saturday, June 1, 2019. Yellow vest protests are taking place for the 29th consecutive week to challenge President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

French ‘yellow vests’ defy Macron again in tense protests

A protester throws back a tear-gas canister during an anti-government demonstration called the Yellow Vests “Gilets Jaunes” movement on January 26, 2019 in Quimper, western France. Photo: AFP

Police remove a burning scooter during clashes at an anti-government demonstration called by the "yellow vests" (gilets jaunes) movement on the Place de la Republique in Paris on January 26, 2019. - 'Yellow vest' anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in France for the 11th consecutive Saturday on January 26, despite recent divisions in their ranks, and with a displayed tenacity facing an executive which is regaining popularity ten days after the opening of the "great national debate", the French president's bid to prove he will take on board the fierce criticism of "yellow vest" protesters who have upended his reform agenda. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

TOPSHOT - French anti-riot police walk in group on the place de la Republique in Paris during an anti-government demonstration called by the Yellow Vests "Gilets Jaunes" movement on January 26, 2019. - 'Yellow vest' anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in France for the 11th consecutive Saturday on January 26, despite recent divisions in their ranks, and with a displayed tenacity facing an executive which is regaining popularity ten days after the opening of the "great national debate", the French president's bid to prove he will take on board the fierce criticism of "yellow vest" protesters who have upended his reform agenda. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

French government under fire after 80 shops vandalised in Paris riot

Firefighters extinguish a blaze in a Longchamp shop in Paris. Photo: EPA

epa07444475 Workers check damage of the burned Fouquet's restaurant in the Champs Elysees, a day after the 16 March yellow Vests (Gilets jaunes) clashes with French police forces during during the 'Act XVIII' demonstration (the 18th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 17 March 2019. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a grassroots protest movement with supporters from a wide span of the political spectrum, that originally started with protest across the nation in late 2018 against high fuel prices. The movement in the meantime also protests the French government's tax reforms, the increasing costs of living and some even call for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. EPA-EFE/JULIEN DE ROSA

Damaged windows of shops are pictured on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on March 17, 2019, a day after the 18th consecutive Saturday of demonstrations called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement. - Rioters looted and torched shops and businesses on the famed Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on March 16, 2019 on the 18th weekend of French "yellow vest" protests, characterised by a sharp increase in violence after weeks of dwindling turnout. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

epa07444477 Workers check a damaged store in the Champs Elysees, a day after the 16 March yellow Vests (Gilets jaunes) clashes with French police forces during during the 'Act XVIII' demonstration (the 18th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 17 March 2019. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a grassroots protest movement with supporters from a wide span of the political spectrum, that originally started with protest across the nation in late 2018 against high fuel prices. The movement in the meantime also protests the French government's tax reforms, the increasing costs of living and some even call for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. EPA-EFE/JULIEN DE ROSA

TOPSHOT - A graffiti on the facade of a Cartier jewellery reads a play on words which translate as "No mercy for bourgeois" near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on March 17, 2019, a day after the 18th consecutive Saturday of demonstrations called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement. - Rioters looted and torched shops and businesses on the famed Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on March 16, 2019 on the 18th weekend of French "yellow vest" protests, characterised by a sharp increase in violence after weeks of dwindling turnout. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

epaselect epa07443242 A protester from the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) carries a broken mannequin as he leaves the Champs Elysees avenue after the 'Act XVIII' demonstration (the 18th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 16 March 2019. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a grassroots protest movement with supporters from a wide span of the political spectrum, that originally started with protest across the nation in late 2018 against high fuel prices. The movement in the meantime also protests the French government's tax reforms, the increasing costs of living and some even call for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. EPA-EFE/YOAN VALAT

epa07442861 Yellow Vests protesters clash with rior police in front of the Fouquet's restaurant on fire during the 'Act XVIII' demonstration (the 18th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 16 March 2019. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a grassroots protest movement with supporters from a wide span of the political spectrum, that originally started with protest across the nation in late 2018 against high fuel prices. The movement in the meantime also protests the French government's tax reforms, the increasing costs of living and some even call for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. EPA-EFE/YOAN VALAT

epa07443500 Yellow Vests protesters and looters exit Bulgari shop on the Champs Elysees during clashes with French riot Police as part of the 'Act XVIII' demonstration the 18th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 16 March 2019. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a grassroots protest movement with supporters from a wide span of the political spectrum, that originally started with protest across the nation in late 2018 against high fuel prices. The movement in the meantime also protests the French government's tax reforms, the increasing costs of living and some even call for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. EPA-EFE/YOAN VALAT

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A number of protesters have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded


A number of protesters have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded.


Emmanuel Macron

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French minister Laurent Nunez says he has ‘no regrets’ over handling of ‘yellow vest’ protests despite number of serious injuries

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}A number of protesters have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded

A number of protesters have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded