President Emmanuel Macron of France is facing police calls to bring in the army to defend Paris from “yellow vest” attacks following last Saturday’s unprecedented riots in the French capital.
The police unions' plea came as the government held crisis talks with the leaders of all of France’s political parties, many of whom urged Mr Macron to instantly scrap “green” fuel tax hikes to avoid the country spiralling into a permanent state of insurrection.
The three-week revolt has exposed a deep malaise over high taxation, the price of living and a sense of social injustice. Much of the ire has been directed against Mr Macron with many protesters complaining he is an arrogant and out of touch “president of the rich”.
Several regional state prefects - civil servants normally sworn to silence - were cited by Le Monde as slamming the “Parisian arrogance” of his government, totally cut-off from poor provincial France and in a “technocratic bubble” that was “without feelers”. One was citing as dubbing the situation “pre-revolutionary”.
"What is expressed the most is hatred for the President," said another.
Edouard Philippe, the prime minister, was due to announce new conciliatory “measures” after the marathon talks in what observers are calling a “race against time” to prevent a fresh bout of violence. He has ordered a parliamentary debate on the crisis on Wednesday.
But in a worrying blow, all 10 "yellow vest" spokesmen who signed a tribune in the French press this Sunday detailing their demands declined to meet the prime minister on Monday night.
They cited "security concerns" after receiving death threats from other protesters who see no compromise possible.
Masked protesters fought running battles with riot police last Saturday in Paris, smashing and looting shops, setting fire to banks and even targeting cherished symbols of the French Republic - chief among them the Arc de Triomphe. Paris’ town hall said they caused up to €4 million in damage.
Four people have died in incidents linked to the revolt around the country, with one protester in Paris in a critical condition after being crushed by a giant railing in the Tuileries gardens.
Some 682 arrests took place around France, including 426 in Paris, with 57 people due to be receive fast-fast-track sentences yesterday (Mon). Some 133 people were injured, including 23 police in the capital.
With calls on social media for fresh protests in Paris next Saturday, several police unions urged the government to bring in the army as their men were “exhausted”. Petrol bombs, rocks, and even hammers were thrown at the weekend, while one officer narrowly escaped a lynching.
David Le Bars, secretary general of the police chiefs’ union SCPN, said soldiers should be drafted in as “reinforcements” to free up riot police against highly mobile vandals.
No comments:
Post a Comment