Firefighters from the Nantes fire station (44) were the victims of three attacks in just 48 hours, whilst on call in the city centre.
The first attack took place during a ‘Yellow Vests’ protest. A firefighter was violently struck on the helmet before being tackled and thrown to the ground. The other two incidents occurred during call-outs involving men who had been drinking too much. One of the firefighters sustained injuries to his face serious enough for doctors to prescribe six days’ sick leave
"Three physical assaults in two days is a lot. But not a week goes by without some sort of incident (hitting, insults, threats, spitting, etc.)" - a representative of the Sud trade union told our colleagues at France Bleu.
According to figures from the Home Office, the number of reported assaults on firefighters rose by 23 per cent nationwide in 2017.L