Paris: A human rights group and a major trade union went to France’s top administrative court on Wednesday seeking a ban on riot police use of rubber bullets, which are blamed for injuring dozens of “yellow vest” protesters.
The police have drawn fire over their repeated use of rubber bullets to restore order during ten weeks of anti-government protests, which have repeatedly ended in rioting.
Dozens of people have been seriously injured, with the protesters, rights groups and French media pinning the blame for most of the injuries on the 40-mm (1.6-inch) rubber projectiles.
The Rights League and the CGT union have lodged a case at the Council of State, the
country’s highest administrative court, after failing with an petition earlier this month at a lower administrative court.
A ruling was expected later on Wednesday on the weapon, which is prohibited in most western European countries.
The government has defended the use of rubber bullets and stun grenades as necessary to guard against violent elements within the yellow vests’ ranks who have repeatedly attacked security forces.
The Desarmons-Les (Disarm Them) collective, which campaigns against police violence, claims 20 protesters have lost an eye.
The collective’s website shows pictures of 13 people with eye injuries. Twelve were hit by rubber bullets and the other by a stun grenade, it says.
The debate over police weapons flared up again at the weekend after a yellow-vest leader was badly injured in the eye while filming a protest in Paris.
— AFP
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