Jerome Rodrigues
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on April 14, 2019 at 23:03
- 1 min read
- By Sami ACEF, Simon VALMARY
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| Age | 40 |
| Date injured | January 26, 2019 |
| Where | Paris |
| Eye | Right |
| Medical certificate seen by AFP | Rubber bullet |
| Complaint filed | Yes |
| Investigation | Police disciplinary body |
Jerome Rodrigues was injured in Paris on January 26, 2018. AFP interviewed him on February 6, 2019.
Why were you there?
I went out onto the streets to try and make this government understand its priorities: that the French people should be able to earn a decent wage and live with dignity. I’ve been waiting for years for a movement like the yellow vests.
What happened?
A group of yellow vest friends had just been gassed. I told them, “guys, get out of here”. I saw a squad of police starting to spring into action. I thought to myself, “get back, don’t get in their way”. And then, bang! A grenade explodes at my feet. I felt a shock. Then a few seconds later, a huge impact on my eye from a rubber bullet.
What is your life like now?
Two lives have been shattered. Mine, and that of the policeman who shot me. What’s going to happen to him? What about his family? He was respecting an order, just doing his job, but his life could have been destroyed. I don’t want to be a ‘symbol’. All I wanted was to put food on the table, stop privileges for the rich, and fight for direct democracy. Now I realise I have a new battle, to take the movement further.
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