Protesters who set Paris police car ablaze get jail sentence

PARIS – Seven people accused of launching a vicious attack on a police car in Paris last year have been handed prison sentences up to seven years.

The assailants used iron bars to attack the vehicle, which was stuck in traffic, and later set it alight with a Molotov cocktail. Footage of the attack was widely broadcast in France and the case caught media attention worldwide.

The attack in May 2016 took place on the sidelines of a demonstration staged by police officers denouncing violence against the force, following repeated clashes with protesters during marches against controversial labour law changes.

French media reported that Antonin Bernanos, who was accused of assaulting the driver inside the car, was handed a five-year sentence with two years suspended. The driver escaped with minor injuries.