Thousands of police demonstrated in front of the National Assembly on May 19 at 1:00 p.m. This national tribute takes place after the murders of their colleges in Avignon and Rambouillet.
About forty colleagues of the police officer made the trip from Avignon to defend their cause. According to some unions, 150 police officers came from the Paca region to demonstrate. 500 members of the Hauts-de-France police went to Paris.
The police demanded “more severity against the attackers of the police and” the end of impunity. “However, this tribute took a political turn with the presence of political representatives except for the France Insoumise, who says she does not share the demands on the basis of which police organizations are calling for demonstrations.
According to the organizers, more than 35,000 people responded to the call of the police unions. For the first time, a Minister of the Interior was present alongside the police, which earned him criticism from his detractors. He had justified his presence by saying: “I will tell them that we love them …”, all including the anger of the police.
Unlike him, the Minister of Justice, did not join the demonstration. Eric Dupond-Moretti was the target of demonstrators and unions, who demand a stronger criminal response, including minimum sentences for police attackers.
Police unions
Under a black banner that read “Paid to serve, not to die”, union leaders spoke out.
The unions have decided to organize this rally two weeks to the day after the murder of Eric Masson, killed during an anti-drug operation in Avignon. Previously, on April 23, Stéphanie Monfeture, administrative agent at the Rambouillet police station (Yvelines), had been murdered by a Tunisian who would have become radicalized.
Gérard Joron (SGP Police -FO Unit) declared at the forum: “The minimum sentences for the aggressors, this is the strong and clear message that we are waiting for”. “This measure is not liberticidal, nor unconstitutional, nor nauseating”.
The general secretary of the Alliance union, Fabien Vanhemelryck, whistled “this minister who declares ‘I am the minister of prisoners’ (and of the prison administration”). The problem with the police is justice, ”he added to applause.
Olivier Hourcau, deputy secretary general of the Alliance Police Nationale union, accepted the presence of elected officials. He clarified that he will not speak. “This is not a political rally. There are places for that. We do not want recovery,” he said.
Wounded police officers or their relatives then gave their testimonies.
The politicians present at the demonstration
On the left, despite differing opinions, the parties were all present with the exception of RFI. We noted the presence of Fabien Roussel (PCF), Olivier Faure (PS) or environmentalists Yannick Jadot.
The judiciary union (left) sent a statement. “The new horizon that our ministers and elected representatives are drawing by participating in this event and thus joining forces with the police is that of a society in which the police become an autonomous power instead of being a public force in the service of citizens”
For his part, Jordan Bardella, number 2 of the National Rally represented his party, surrounded by other elected officials.
On the right, the MEP, François-Xavier Bellamy mocked Gerald Darmanin who “is demonstrating against his own inaction”! Damien Abad, boss of LR deputies, was also present with “almost all” of the party including Christian Estrosi or Valérie Pécresse.
Among the demonstrators, we recognized Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Jean Lassalle or Philippe de Villiers or the actor. Gérard Lanvin took the floor to show his support for the police
The government’s responses
Since the murder of Eric Masson in Avignon, the government has met with the unions on May 10 in Matignon. On May 19, he tabled an amendment to the National Assembly. It plans to increase the security sentence to 30 years for those sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime committed against a police or a gendarme.
This amendment will be voted on during the week as part of the examination at the Palais Bourbon of the bill for “confidence” in the justice of Eric Dupond-Moretti. However, this is not the “most important claim”. There remains “the implementation of minimum sentences” (also called floor sentences) for “law enforcement aggressors”.
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