4 ms·

> "anything at all that can change how society operates is a national security risk" In France now two-thirds of staff in police/gendarmerie work in riot cont

> "anything at all that can change how society operates is a national security risk" In France now two-thirds of staff in police/gendarmerie work in riot control service, and only one-third work in judicial police. There may be good reasons for that, but as a Frenchman, I am unaware that French people in demonstrations are so dangerous. Why do demonstrators need to be countered by armed people trained in urban warfare and equipped with military gear? Indeed there are also real riots with war like scenes, but it's "only" a few hours after the event that riot police arrives. In this matter, firefighters are present during the events and they are real heroes.

JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> I am unaware that French people in demonstrations are so dangerous Les gilets jaunes were incredibly violent [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests#Fatalities_and_injuries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests#Fataliti...
- JPLeRouzic 3y ago
  I agree that there were violent people, but they were a minority and belonged to opportunistic political factions (black blocks). It's these guys who torched small businesses, not the demonstrators. They were young, mobile, and well-trained for urban warfare, which caused many to wonder who trained them and where. These guys were probably 1/100 of the total number of gilets jaunes. In contrast, the average gilet jaune were middle-aged people, often women, who feared falling into poverty. Most were unable to run quickly, even for their life. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouvement_des_Gilets_jaunes#Profil_des_manifestants_et_des_soutiens https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouvement_des_Gilets_jaunes#Pr... (sorry it's in French) BTW my understanding of the WP paragraph that you point out is that most of this violence, injuries, and trauma was done by police, not by these people.
  - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
    > These guys were probably 1/100 of the total number of gilets jaunes This is always the case. It's why you need riot police versus ordinary cops. We've had tons of protests in New York, including ones where people are injured and looters blend in, but never (in modern times) at this scale nor intensity. > most of this violence, injuries, and trauma was done by police I don't think the police injured over a thousand of themselves. There were also multiple deaths where protesters used their trucks as weapons. I am not solely indicting the protesters. Just the claim that French protests aren't notably violent.
    - JPLeRouzic 3y ago
      > "protesters used their trucks as weapons" I don't remember such an event. In some cases, other people (not demonstrators) who were trying to cross a blockade their cars. > "Just the claim that French protests aren't notably violent." Sorry I didn't understand that, you are indeed right. There is often a level of violence (see farmers or docker unions) but the Gilets Jaunes were mostly ordinary people, not the smartest, not in their best health, and they were not aggressive in most cases. They were us, feeling things were falling apart and not knowing what to do.
    - petre 3y ago
      > There were also multiple deaths where protesters used their trucks as weapons You are confusing the giletes jaunes protests with the 2016 Nice terrorist attack.

JumpCrisscross 3y ago

> I am unaware that French people in demonstrations are so dangerous Les gilets jaunes were incredibly violent [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests#Fatalities_and_injuries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests#Fataliti...

JPLeRouzic 3y ago
I agree that there were violent people, but they were a minority and belonged to opportunistic political factions (black blocks). It's these guys who torched small businesses, not the demonstrators. They were young, mobile, and well-trained for urban warfare, which caused many to wonder who trained them and where. These guys were probably 1/100 of the total number of gilets jaunes. In contrast, the average gilet jaune were middle-aged people, often women, who feared falling into poverty. Most were unable to run quickly, even for their life. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouvement_des_Gilets_jaunes#Profil_des_manifestants_et_des_soutiens https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouvement_des_Gilets_jaunes#Pr... (sorry it's in French) BTW my understanding of the WP paragraph that you point out is that most of this violence, injuries, and trauma was done by police, not by these people.
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago
  > These guys were probably 1/100 of the total number of gilets jaunes This is always the case. It's why you need riot police versus ordinary cops. We've had tons of protests in New York, including ones where people are injured and looters blend in, but never (in modern times) at this scale nor intensity. > most of this violence, injuries, and trauma was done by police I don't think the police injured over a thousand of themselves. There were also multiple deaths where protesters used their trucks as weapons. I am not solely indicting the protesters. Just the claim that French protests aren't notably violent.
  - JPLeRouzic 3y ago
    > "protesters used their trucks as weapons" I don't remember such an event. In some cases, other people (not demonstrators) who were trying to cross a blockade their cars. > "Just the claim that French protests aren't notably violent." Sorry I didn't understand that, you are indeed right. There is often a level of violence (see farmers or docker unions) but the Gilets Jaunes were mostly ordinary people, not the smartest, not in their best health, and they were not aggressive in most cases. They were us, feeling things were falling apart and not knowing what to do.
  - petre 3y ago
    > There were also multiple deaths where protesters used their trucks as weapons You are confusing the giletes jaunes protests with the 2016 Nice terrorist attack.