PRécarité On November 8, 2019, Anas Kournif set himself on fire in front of a Crous building. He has kept serious consequences but claims to lead a normal student life anas-has-resumed-nbspune-normal-life-three-years-after-his-immolation-by-fire-d4bf4bd.jpg” alt=”Lyon : Despite people’s stares, Anas resumed « a normal life” three years after his self-immolation” />
Anas Kournif, 25, set himself on fire on November 8, 2019, in front of a Crous building in Lyon. Three years later, he claims to have resumed a “normal life” despite the scars on his body and people’s eyes. — JEFF PACHOUD/AFP
- On November 8, 2019, Anas Kournif set himself on fire in front of a Crous building in Lyon.
- Three years after his desperate gesture, the young man claims to have “resumed a normal life” despite people’s gaze and continues its trade union activities.
< li>Three-degree burns over more than 75% of his body, the student has suffered serious consequences.
Very serious consequences. Three years later, he was immolated. By fire in front of the Lyon Crous, Anas Kournif claims to have resumed “a normal life”. “ Because nothing was right” to at that time, because he “was at bout”, the student activist had decided to to commit suicide in a spectacular gesture on November 8, 2019 at; 2:50 p.m.
A burn-out of û to his intense trade union activities in parallel with his studies, the financial difficulties linked to his the loss of his scholarship for having failed; three times in the second year of the license, a behavior “very” depression aggravated; according to him by a hypothyroïdie… “I went look for a jerrycan at; the station of & rsquo; side, I poured five liters of gasoline in it, I shoved it over my head and lit the car. the fire with a kind of torch lighter,” he says in a neutral tone to play down his act which left him burned in the third degree, at more than 75%.
Between 30 and 45 operations
After having been “Rescued” by Kevin,“”a yard guy” side” who took a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, followed the pain of burns, five months of artificial coma, three months of continuous care, all punctuated by operations – between 30 and 45 according to him, “maybe even more,” Anas hesitates.
Today, the 25-year-old explains that he has returned to “a normal life” and continues its trade union activities. Dressed in black clothing camouflaged with his scarred body, and equipped with from a futuristic prosthesis to with his right hand, he sips a Perrier puck in a Lyon guinguette after a demonstration organized for the interprofessional strike day of October 18.
“It’s important to me, I always participate in; these kinds of events,” l’AFP by raising his round glasses which keep slipping on his gnawed nose; by the burns.
“People’s gaze, çit can be a little difficult”
Very active since his 15 years in the socialist movement, Anas remains, for some, a symbol of the distress that young students sometimes face. “His gesture put the subject of insecurity student in public debate,” said Magalie, 22, her friend since 2018, emphasizing “the psychological distress linked to (their) living conditions.” “Study is survival for some students and Anas has paid the price. This precariousness, he will have marked it in his flesh. life and fortunately he is still there. to talk about it,” Lyon 2
Today studying in L3 in political science at; Lyon 2, his convictions have not changed, “except on disability”, nuance the one who has become a scholarship holder again and who now receives the allowance for disabled adults (AAH).
“When we found out he was coming back, we quickly made arrangements. to help him get back to a student life as best as possible and give him the best possible chance of succeeding in his training project,” testifies Nathalie Dompnier, president of the university. Lumère;e; evoking an arrangement of end-of-year exams, courses adapted to his medical appointments and support from the disability mission.
“I live a normal life as a student,” the sequelae. Released from the rehabilitation center on April 30, 2021, the boy has retained his numerous traces on the body. He was also amputated of a toe and partial of you others. joined the streets the next day to demonstrate on May 1st. “ The gaze of people, ça can be a little difficult. In the subway, they tend to do not sit down side me,” he says. But “I didn’t leave this thing kill me and if I got out of it it’s to do something and live my life,” to establish his own trade union and political party.