Olivier Fostier

AFP contacted Olivier Fostier by telephone on April 1, 2019 after discovering his case on social media. He works at a forge plant and is also a representative of the far-right Patriots association.

Why were you there?

I’d never been to a protest before the yellow vest movement, but I regularly take part in marches now because I refuse to accept the current political system. We tend to stay at the back of the crowd. We’re not asking Macron to give us everything on a plate. People just want to work and live with dignity.

What happened?

I was walking along calmly, not even wearing a yellow vest. A grenade came tumbling down before me. I turned around to protect myself from the gas, and that’s when it hit me - a grenade or a rubber bullet. It’s like someone sticking a chisel in your eye. I fell to my knees. The firefighters came straight away as there had been a car crash nearby.  

What is your life like now?

My eye is gone. The bone underneath is fractured. In the end, they’ll probably put in some kind of prosthesis. Psychologically, I’m OK but I’m starting to wake up several times at night. I’ve seen a counsellor and they said these kind of after-effects would come later on. I don’t know what will happen with my job. I have to travel a lot, and don’t know if I’ll be able to drive or use a computer without it affecting my health.