The Paris police prefect Didier Lallement deplored the "very aggressive" attitude of some firefighters on Wednesday during their demonstration the day before in Paris. The senior official praised in a statement the "professionalism" of the police and gendarmes mobilized Tuesday "despite the violence against them". The demonstration gathered 3,900 fire soldiers, according to the prefecture.
"Very aggressively taken to task, the units used force to extricate themselves and contain these violent actions, in a strictly necessary and proportionate manner," he added. The demonstration was punctuated by clashes, especially after the arrival of the procession on Place de la Nation. Several demonstrators then tried to force a metal police barrier, erected to prevent a possible blockage of the device.
Violence condemned by the National Federation of Firefighters
They were repelled by the police with a water cannon and by tear gas and stun grenades. Several firefighters were slightly injured, in particular in the legs by shrapnel from grenades. The National Federation of Firefighters of France (FNSPF), which oversees the profession, also condemned the attitude of these demonstrators. "Using violence to be heard is totally contrary to the values that unite the firefighters of France," she said in a statement.
These clashes were, she said, "all the more unjustified" that a meeting took place at the same time between the inter-union of the profession and the Ministry of the Interior. The latter announced measures, particularly in terms of wages and pensions, which led the unions to put an end to their protest movement which started last summer.
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