After a petrol bomb was thrown at police, France opened an inquiry into an attempted murder.

Following petrol bombs being thrown at police during rioting, French prosecutors have opened an attempted murder inquiry, according to French media. Following weeks of street protests in France that have also resulted in demonstrator injuries, this photograph of a police officer with his leg on fire during a confrontation with protestors in Paris on Saturday has sparked indignation.

The cop informed the French publication Le Figaro that it was a “very clever” incendiary device after sustaining minor hand injuries and burns to his ankle. A Molotov cocktail thrown at a police line is “what I term a murder attempt,” according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who also stated that officers were searching for the offenders.

The latest in a string of youth-led demonstrations that started in late September and called for action on the high cost of living and subpar public services, particularly schools, hundreds of thousands of people participated in mostly nonviolent demonstrations across France on Saturday.

Thousands of police officers were stationed across over the weekend in response to earlier altercations and looting, and in certain areas, officers used tear gas on protesters. The French interior ministry reported that around 770 people were arrested on Saturday, almost half as many as during the rallies the week before. However, authorities said that no one had been taken into custody for the on-camera assault that set a police officer on fire.

The offic er stated that his unit “suddenly found themselves against several hundred hostile, well-equipped foes.” The National Gendarmerie is a national law enforcement organization that is governed by the interior ministry but is officially a member of the military.

He told the French newspaper Le Figaro that the incendiary device “had a significantly larger burning capability than a conventional Molotov cocktail” but that authorities had not yet identified the liquid used. According to him, fourteen additional cops had minor to serious injuries, some of which were caused by paving stones. According to him, the squad was quickly called back to handle the protests over the weekend even though it was supposed to be on leave.

The Gilets Jaunes, or Yellow Vests, a group that organizes protests in France, claim that “grenades” have caused significant injuries to scores of demonstrators during recent events across the nation.

After a 15-year-old’s hand was blown off, France banned the use of one kind of stun grenade during student protests in early October. However, according to the French newspaper Le Monde, police have continued to use a different kind in subsequent protests. Over the weekend, protests also occurred in Germany and Italy. These rallies, which are primarily led by young people and have a variety of demands but are generally connected to a focus on public services and cost-of-living issues, continue throughout portions of Europe.