Shocking moment hooded suspect attacks woman with ‘makeshift flamethrower’ amid French student protests
The woman was left with serious burns following the incident in Marseille amid protests sweeping across France against under-resourced schools
This is the shocking moment a student protester attacked a woman with a make-shift flamethrower amid a wave of unrest sweeping across France.
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The demonstrations - over a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings - began in late September in Paris before spreading across the country. More than 500 schools are facing disruption.
Around 5,000 people have been arrested over the last six days and dozens injured.
The movement is largely made up of secondary school pupils aged 15 to 18, with university students now joining in some areas.
In Marseille, a hooded suspect was filmed near Place du 4 Septembre firing the makeshift weapon using a lighter and aerosol can towards the face of a woman calling for the protests to stop.
In the video, the woman in the blue suit can be seen ducking and trying to protect her face with her arms as he points the burst of fire towards her. She then staggers and grabs her face as the suspect disappears.
French police arrested a 15-year-old boy on Friday night, according to the TV news channel BFMTV.
It was then reported in Le Parisien the woman suffered first-degree burns.
WILD: FRANCE: A woman in Marseille was burned in the face after a hooded rioter, sprayed a flamethrower in her face. pic.twitter.com/RqBaVnTtM1
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 2, 2026
The woman who was attacked reportedly filed a complaint in Marseille earlier today, and her friends have called for witnesses to come forward regarding the shocking incident.
The statement read: "This morning, we were waiting for the bus when, all of a sudden, among the high-school students, some stupid girls took the metal barrier and started trying to smash up the bus shelter.‘My friend tried to stop them, blocking them and talking to them. She was violently attacked, and one of them burned the left side of her face by spraying her with a spray and using a lighter.
"Fortunately, there were no serious burns (first-degree burns). The firefighters and gendarmes intervened. Anyone who witnessed what happened, please contact me privately.
The statement added: "Especially the woman wearing the black vest – she was the only person who intervened before they fled. I hope the CCTV camera was working."
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