David Breidenstein
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on April 14, 2019 at 23:05
- 1 min read
- By Rémi BANET
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| Age | 40 |
| Date injured | March 16 |
| Where | Paris |
| Eye | Left |
| Seen medical certificate | Yes |
| Alleged weapon | Rubber bullet |
| Complaint | Yes |
| Investigation | ? |
David Breidenstein was injured on March 16, 2019 in Paris. AFP interviewed him four days later at the Cochin hospital in Paris.
Why were you there?
About forty of us had caught the train up to Paris. It was at least the seventh time I’d been since the protests began. I’ve been a yellow vest from the start.
What happened?
We were near the Arc de Triomphe when the atmosphere started to change, so we moved away from the area with a few other protesters. Then they started firing canisters to disperse the crowd. I’d started walking away when I turned my head, and that’s when I got hit. The force is just monumental, you feel like a brick has smashed into your head. It knocked me to the ground. I was just there with my cigarette, my yellow vest and my backpack, that was it. I was a target, I was just walking normally, I wasn’t running.
What is your life like now?
I work at a forge plant making parts for Airbus. We’ve got to do checks and monitor the machines, so I don’t know how that’s going to work out now I’ve lost an eye. I’m at home at the moment. I just stay in with the shutters closed. Even the slightest bit of sunlight or the glare from the TV hurts my eyes. It’s very tiring.
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