Several French police unions decided to hold a rally and demonstration in front of the French National Assembly building two weeks after the murder of police officer Eric Masson. According to organizers, more than 35,000 people responded to the police unions’ call. The French public was invited to join the rally. The vast majority of French political parties took part in the demonstration.
In this regard, AFP reported today that with only a year to go before the presidential elections, politicians from all sides in France joined a police rally Wednesday where police denounced the growing violence they face and the inadequacy of the judicial response.
The French police union decided to hold the rally two weeks after the murder of Eric Masson, a police officer who was killed at a car dealership in Avignon (southern France). on April 23, Stéphanie Monfermé, an administrative officer at the Rambouillet police station in the Paris region, was The tragedies shook the police force with the murder of a Tunisian who had apparently become radicalized Islamist.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has been criticized by the opposition, also took part in the demonstration rally. But his arrival also sparked controversy.
According to Mikael, a police officer from northwestern France, “I am a police officer and I support all my colleagues who risk their lives every day. It’s not easy and we need more people for security interventions.”
Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who was absent from the rally, was the target of criticism from protesters and unions, who demanded a stronger criminal response, particularly the necessary minimum sentences for those who attack police officers.
According to one police union member, who thundered to applause, “The problem with police is justice!” Several testimonies from injured police officers or their relatives were presented or played on stage.
According to AFP, security has become one of the main campaign themes in the regional elections in a month’s time and in the presidential elections a year later.
Since the Avignon tragedy, the French government has made promises to police unions.
In particular, the government has promised to extend the security period for people sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against the police or gendarmerie to 30 years. The government submitted a related amendment on Wednesday as part of a bill on “confidence” in the justice system proposed by the justice minister, which is expected to be voted on this week. Prime Minister Jean Castex also said he favors stricter limits on the possibility of reducing the sentences of people who attack police officers.
The protesters clearly denounced the judiciary as partly responsible for their problems, arguing that it does not punish criminals by the book and gives them a sense of impunity.
With presidential elections just a year away, French politicians from all sides of the political spectrum attended the rally, held by police, on Wednesday to denounce the growing violence they face and the inadequacy of the judicial response, an election-sensitive issue, according to AFP.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and leaders from across the political spectrum, except for the far left, were present as security became one of the main campaign themes for regional elections in a month and presidential elections a year later. According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, in a brief appearance at the rally Wednesday, he stressed that “nothing is more normal than supporting the police in the republic.”
According to a poll published in late April, security and the fight against terrorism and the fight against crime are the fourth and fifth highest priorities for French people today, after health, the fight against the new coronavirus and education, but before tackling unemployment, environmental protection or the fight against illegal immigration.
Various left-wingers, such as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, were also present, even though security is not traditionally one of the left’s hobbies.
According to AFP, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party and publicly declared candidate for the presidency, did not attend the rally on Wednesday and described the police rally called by the police union outside the National Assembly as a “sectarian demonstration”. Mélenchon criticized the police demonstration for not protesting against the causes of the tragic loss of life, but for targeting mechanisms such as justice.
AFP said police officer Eric Masson was shot and killed during a law enforcement inquiry to arrest drug smugglers.
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