Warning
WAR ZONE
French ‘Yellow Vest’ protester has hand BLOWN OFF by grenade as country descends into violence and bloodshed
A man was seriously wounded while trying to pick up a grenade from a road in the city of Bordeaux
VIOLENT clashes with police have resulted in a man losing one hand after trying to pick up a grenade during a Yellow Vest protest in Bordeaux.
The device detonated and blew off the demonstrator’s limb yesterday, the city’s public prosecutor Olivier Etienne has confirmed.
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In a graphic video, originally posted by Facebook group La France en colère (Angry France), which has been covering the demonstrations, the man can be seen with the gruesome injury.
No details have been released about his age, where he is from, or his current condition.
However, in the video – now unavailable, reports – the man can be seen running towards the camera, holding up his right elbow with his left hand, which doesn’t appear to be injured in the blast.
There is a bleeding stump on his right wrist.
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France3 Aquitaine later posted a video on Twitter, showing paramedics loading the patient onto a stretcher and into an awaiting ambulance.
It said that a “protester present in Place Pey Berland [was] evacuated with a wrenched [off] hand.”
The city’s deputy public prosecutor Olivier Etienne said the man was trying to pick up a grenade to throw it, when it detonated and blew off his limb.
Among the responses to France3's tweet, one man said: “It happens when we pick up a grenade.”
Another commented: “If he wanted to keep his hand he had to step back instead of doing the wrong thing and attack the police.”
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Monday will see President Emmanuel Macron deliver an ‘I’m Sorry’ TV address and announce further tax cuts following more than 1,700 arrests during nationwide rioting in France.
Cities including Paris and Bordeaux exploded into violence on Saturday, during the fourth weekend of demonstrations in a row by Yellow Vest protesters.
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Paris was on lockdown yesterday as 1,000 protesters were arrested and 135 were injured during riots in a 'Day of rage' across the country.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the violence in Paris was"under control" by 6pm local time, despite scattered tensions.
Mr Macron remained holed-up in the Elysee Palace in Paris as buildings were set on fire, shops were looted, and police were attacked.
Armoured cars, water canon and thousands of rounds of tear gas were used against the Yellow Vest fuel price rise opponents, who are named after the high visibility jackets all motorists carry in France.
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They have been joined by agitators from the Left and Right, as well as criminal groups determined to cause mayhem.
Today, the highly influential Parisien newspaper reported that "After eight days of silence, the head of state" has told supporters"he will speak on Monday night on television to respond to the angry French."
Mr Macron will not appear "empty hand" but will instead make further concessions in regards to tax.
He has already been pilloried for abandoning green taxes on diesel and petrol in response to the early rioting, but is set to cave in further.
"There are too many taxes, too many taxes, too much taxation in this country," Mr Macron told MPs in a private meeting on Friday, Le Parisien reports.
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Mr Macron’s "mea culpa" included him admitting that he appeared too arrogant and out-of-touch, and he will address such concerns on a national TV channel.
There were more than 1,000 arrests in Paris alone on Saturday, while the national figure was 1,723.
Thousands chanted "Macron resign" and "police everywhere – justice nowhere" as they rampaged throughout the centre of the French capital.
Weapons used by the thugs included Molotov Cocktails, gas cannisters, flash ball guns, baseball bats, and petanque balls used as missiles.
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Most tourist attractions were shut, including the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, which was ransacked during riots a week ago.
Gendarmes were supported by 12 gendarmerie Berliet VXB-170 armoured cars, complete with 7.62mm machine guns and a 56mm Alsetex Cougar grenade launchers.
The vehicles are designed to break down barricades and to advance on crowds during riots.
A total of 106 out of 109 squads of gendarmes mobilised across France, along with other paramilitaries groups such as the Republican Security Companies (CRS).
The Yellow Vests said their protests would continue indefinitely as they campaign for even more tax reductions.
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There have been calls for a State of Emergency to be announced, and for the Army to take to the streets.
The current spate of Paris violence is considered the worst since the Spring of 1968, when President Charles de Gaulle’s government feared a full-blown revolution.
The independent Mr Macron, leader of the Republic On The Move party, won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, but he is now dubbed the "President of the Rich" with polls showing his popularity rating down to just 18 per cent.
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Interior Minister Christophe Castaner described yesterday's clashes as "totally unacceptable", and said 135 people were injured on Saturday, including 17 cops.
"Exceptional" security measures allowed police to put nearly 1,000 people in custody.
Casataner estimated there were 10,000 yellow vest protesters in Paris alone, among some 125,000 protesters around the country.
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