Prison Guards Protest at Fleury-Mérogis

The major French prison at Fleury-Mérogis is currently housing inmates at 180% of its capacity, and suffers from a staff shortage. After a recent burst of violence against the guards by the prisoners, the guards staged a protest demonstration and blocked the road to the prison.

Neither the following TV news report nor the article below it mention cultural enrichment as a factor in the problems at Fleury-Mérogis. However, one may assume that the prison population there, just as in the rest of Western Europe, is overwhelmingly made up of Third World migrants and their descendants — especially given the number of Muslims who now reside in France.

In the video you’ll notice that one of the protesting guards is a black African, which further complicates the ethnic picture at the prison.

Many thanks to Ava Lon for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

The article below, also translated by Ava Lon, is from F. DeSouche:

Fleury-Mérogis: 350 angry guards block the biggest prison in Europe

by Koba
April 10, 2017

More than 350 prison guards blocked the prison in Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne) on Monday night to protest the recent assault of six guards in the largest prison in Europe, undermined by prison overcrowding and lack of personnel.

The demonstrators, with placards reading “Fire, penance burns”, “Overpopulation, understaffing, danger” and some inviting presidential candidates to visit them, set up barricades from 7:30pm on the only route that leads to the prison, said an AFP journalist.

The facility is currently filled to 180% of its capacity. It houses more than 4,200 detainees, and nearly 150 staffing posts are vacant, according to trade unions.

“The situation is simply unbearable. This aggression is the straw that broke the camel’s back”, said Olivier Legentil, of the union UFAP-UNSa Justice (majority).

On Thursday, six prison guards were wounded by eight minors during an altercation between detainees that degenerated into a fight.

from Le Point

Video transcript:

00:00   It was past 10pm last night; the anti-riot gendarmes charged
00:04   in order to free access to the largest prison in Europe.
00:08   In front of them were 350 prison guards at the end of their rope.
00:12   Yesterday they erected barricades
00:16   to block a street leading to the penitentiary.
00:20   Fleury-Mérogis is suffocating: 4,200 inmates; the level of occupation:
00:24   180%; the guards denounce the lack of staff.
00:28   There is on average 1 guard per 100 inmates. The tension is at the boiling point.
00:32   Violence is an everyday occurrence. Last week six guards were attacked
00:36   by the prisoners. The penitentiary staff are at the end of their rope.
00:40   Before it was a motivation, but today you’re asking yourself:
00:44   “Will I get out of there alive?” That’s where we are.
00:49   Today the management is supposed to have discussions with the guards’ trade union. The guards
00:53   who are planning a march in the streets of the Fleury-Mérogis in the morning.    

One thought on “Prison Guards Protest at Fleury-Mérogis

  1. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe so not surprising that of all the prisoners currently behind bars in France 70 percent are Muslim. I believe Fleury-Mérogis is Europe’s largest prison, which also has always been known for overcrowding and as a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism.

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