Firefighter critically injured in France 'urban rodeo' stunt

A firefighter in eastern France was in critical condition on Saturday after being hit in what appeared to be a deliberate attack by a motorist performing an "urban rodeo" stunt, officials said, a day after the government called for a crackdown on the popular, dangerous pastime.France has a tradition of "urban rodeos," which see young motorists and bike riders perform high-speed stunts, leading to traffic and noise disruption.Interior minister Bruno Retailleau was expected to visit the scene in the town of Evian-les-Bains later Saturday.The victim, a 38-year-old volunteer firefighter, was allegedly deliberately run over by a car performing stunts near a local fire station, a source told AFP. He was in critical condition.The perpetrator has been arrested, said the local prefecture without releasing further details.Martial Saddier, head of the Haute-Savoie department, said the firefighter "was airlifted early this morning to the hospital" in Annecy in southeastern France. "It appears that there was an intention to hit a firefighter," he told broadcaster BFMTV. Jean-Paul Bosland, president of the National Federation of Firefighters of France, wrote on X "Zero tolerance for these individuals who lack judgement and show no respect for public safety and order."The rowdy races and stunts, which have become increasingly popular, especially in low-income neighbourhoods, have led to multiple accidents.However, the rodeos are often tolerated or defended by some as a gritty urban subculture that provides an outlet for disaffected youths."Rodeo", a film that appears to glorify the gatherings, generated strong buzz at the Cannes film festival in 2022.On Friday, justice minister Gerald Darmanin said the "scourge of urban rodeos" was "ruining the lives of many French people."He called on prosecutors to take "the strongest possible action.""From now on, they must systematically seize vehicles involved in rodeos and, as the law allows, sell them or have them destroyed even before the trial," said Darmanin. "No more impunity!"On Friday, around 500 cars and nearly 3,000 people gathered for an urban rodeo in the southwestern city of Bordeaux before being dispersed by police.A week ago, a local councillor in southwestern France was assaulted after trying to stop a motorcycle rodeo. He suffered several fractures to his face.France has not taken as drastic measures as Britain, where police are authorised to ram their cars into suspected criminal riders to knock them over, a practice known as "tactical contact".