THE clashes, violent, had lasted several evenings, at the beginning of July. An investigation has been opened by the Angers prosecutor’s office, after the complaint of a man who lost the use of one eye following a shot from a defensive ball launcher, the Angers prosecutor announced on Monday. . The victim is a 32-year-old man who filed a complaint on July 6, said public prosecutor Eric Bouillard in a press release.
“It appears from his hearing that he was injured on the evening of July 3 […] when the police had to intervene to interpose themselves between two groups which clashed”, he adds. “The plaintiff lost the sight of one eye. The first medical elements, which remain to be verified, impute the origin to a firing of a defensive bullet, ”underlines the magistrate. “To shed light on these facts without a priori, the Angers prosecutor’s office seized the General Inspectorate of the National Police”, continues Eric Bouillard.
Violence between identities and opponents
The prosecutor indicates in his press release that the man was injured “rue du Mail, near rue Cornet”. However, in this sector of the city center, clashes took place between June 30 and July 4, between identitarians, who had premises until very recently rue Cornet, and opponents, in particular during a demonstration “against police violence”.
After the opening of an investigation for “armed mob” confirmed by the prosecutor, four of the identities, aged 20 to 28, will appear on August 10 before the tribunal. Pending their appearance, they have been placed under judicial supervision.
The room closed “until further notice”
The premises on rue Cornet, previously occupied by a far-right group, the Alvarium, dissolved in November 2021, was searched on July 3. It was closed “until further notice” the following week, following “an unexpected visit by the inter-municipal security commission”, the town hall of Angers and the prefecture announced last week in a joint press release.
Despite the dissolution of the Alvarium, the premises remained occupied by elements of the far-right movement.