A Winter of Discontent Among the French Police

The French police are out on the streets again this weekend during the latest round of “Yellow Vest” protests.

There are widespread reports of police brutality in Paris and other cities, but there is another side to the story. The following video discusses the grievances of French police officers, who have been required to work long and dangerous shifts during violent demonstrations.

After the footage below was recorded, President Emmanuel Macron yielded to police demands and agreed to a wage increase and payment for all that overtime.

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

Video transcript:

00:00   48 hours of continued work over three Saturdays. Nicolas, an undercover cop, feels exhausted.
00:05   He was mobilized each time during his R&R breaks
00:08   and sent all across Paris to arrest troublemakers.
00:11   I’m literally exhausted, and those call-backs again and again and again,
00:14   like at one o’clock in the morning to tell me that finally I’d have to be on duty
00:18   at sunrise (5am) for endless hours. Sixteen hours on duty,
00:21   and fourteen during which I can’t eat or drink anything.
00:24   This cop on the ground also qualifies the tools at his disposal as being deprecated,
00:28   inadequate and not available in sufficient numbers,
00:31   so that he finally decided to spend 900 euros of his own money to get better protection.
00:34   For those kinds of demonstrations, I buy those boots with my own money, as well as this helmet,
00:40   again purchased with my own money. The jacket, purchased with my own money.
00:43   I’m also forced to buy some sterilizing serum with my own cash because it’s missing
00:46   Nicolas feels abandoned by politicians and unions.
00:50   That’s why this police officer is ready to take part in the demonstrations,
00:53   despite eventual internal administrative repercussions. —We are all fed up, to say it bluntly;
00:57   I’ll say it no matter what. At some point my colleagues will have to make a choice and do the same,
01:01   as we are ending up being disregarded and disrespected by everybody.
01:04   Talk about it publicly and not have to bear the burden alone anymore
01:07   is the stance that many family members of police officers share,
01:10   and will stand firm at their side, should they go to the streets and protest.
01:13   Behind those IDs there are real men, there are real women, who have pledged
01:17   to serve the citizens of this country, and who now feel so burned out, helpless and desperate
01:20   that they decide to take their own lives, destroying thereby many family lives.
01:25   This call started on social media by angry police officers has already received 50,000 views
01:31   Those vow to double down should their claims continue to be ignored by their hierarchy.
 

2 thoughts on “A Winter of Discontent Among the French Police

  1. When I was in the Territorial Army in UK I had to buy proper boots, decent trousers and other clothing. That was back in 2000AD under Blair. I am told now it is even worse. This policy is deliberate to break the soldier-Police morale but the rest is typical of Socialism. In the 1970’s the situation was the same even for the Regular Army. I had to use a secondhand NBC kit but the general kit issue was far superior, as were the weapons like the Sterling and SLR but also the “compo” rations like tins of curry and bully beef. In my later service I found the modern SA80 absolute rubbish- too fussy and plastic. It was always jamming. It is the reason I left the TA in 2003, Who wants to go to war equipped with sub-standard weapons and clothing?

  2. But when he gets the telephone call he answers and when he is ordered to smash some Fascist face (normal French man or woman), he will obey. Without thinking. What was the german word again? Ah yes, Kadavergehorsam.

    Today he complains and asks for our mercy.
    But tomorrow he beats us up without emotion without regret. Because he has shifted the responsibility of thinking to his superiors. He just need to obey.

    Or to Paraphrase a certain Scene from the movie 300:
    I dont want you to think. You only Need to kneel and obey.

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