Anadolu Agency journo recalls injury in French protests

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS (AA) – Anadolu Agency photojournalist Mustafa Yalcin recalled his ordeal after being injured in the eye during clashes between French police and demonstrators protesting controversial plans for pension reform.

On Dec. 5, Yalcin was injured in the left eye when allegedly a gas canister used by the security forces hit him in the face breaking his mask.

Tensions have been escalating in France as Jean-Paul Delevoye, the minister and high commissioner in charge of pension reform, and labor union leaders have not come to a conclusion as of Tuesday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Yalcin said when the incident happened he was on Magenta Boulevard next to Republique Square to watch the protests in Paris.

Yalcin said there was no violence when the protests started.

"But suddenly we saw a vehicle burning on Magenta Boulevard. The flames had risen. I took some photos there. Then the rescue teams said there was an explosive device inside the vehicle. It was not possible to predict the damage that could occur when it exploded, so, I wanted to get away to the other side of the street from where I took a few photos of the burning car."

Yalcin said suddenly the violence started and he had to hide next to a wall.

“People were throwing stones, so I decided to stand on the side. I was away from the vehicle that could explode. The protesters started to attack the door two meters from where I was. Then, smoke began to rise through the door. I thought this place was too risky and decided to get away. And then the incident happened while I was in the middle of Magenta Boulevard trying to get away. I didn't see anything after that."

Yalcin stressed that the high-quality helmet and mask he was wearing protected him.

"Suddenly when it was completely dark, I touched on my mask. Then, I realized that the mask was broken.”

Yalcin said he lay on his face and asked for help from voluntary health workers there.

Yalcin said the paramedics and rescue teams took him into a building. They cleaned the blood on his eye and bandaged it.

After the first treatment in the ambulance, Yalcin said he was taken to Cochin Hospital and had a surgery there.

Yalcin said the surgery was supposed to take two hours but it took five hours. “The doctor said my eye will not be as it used to be and the healing process will take years not months.

Yalcin's eye was thought to be injured by the tear gas canister used by the police, but according to Ronan Pacs, an eyewitness who gave the reporter first aid at the scene, Yalcin was the victim of a plastic hand grenade not a gas canister.