First Court Rulings Over Paris Protest Violence

PARIS, Oct 20 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- French courts have handed down the first sentences against individuals detained following a major demonstration in Paris on Oct 17 that descended into unrest, according to BFMTV on Monday, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

Several people detained for acts of violence during the demonstration appeared in court under an expedited judicial procedure, the broadcaster said.

One of those convicted was a 21-year-old chef and former firefighter, who was sentenced to eight months in prison, with two months to be served in custody.

He had been detained before the demonstration began, carrying eight bottles of alcohol in his bag. Investigators also found videos on his phone showing him throwing Molotov cocktails the previous day, BFMTV reported.

Another man, a 23-year-old security guard, received a one-year suspended sentence and was barred from possessing weapons or participating in demonstrations for one year, the broadcaster reported.

He was arrested for using pyrotechnics against a police officer on the Champs-Élysées.

According to BFMTV, neither man had a prior criminal record.

Protests began in France in mid-September, when secondary school students in the Paris suburbs took to the streets to demand improvements to their schools.

They were later joined by people angered by rising prices, and the demonstrations spread to other regions.

The largest demonstration took place nationwide on Oct 17, descending into unrest and acts of vandalism.

According to the French Interior Ministry, about 550,000 people took part.

Amid the unrest, looters raided shops, smashed shopfronts and stole merchandise, including items from luxury boutiques, particularly in Paris and Marseille.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI