Christophe Castaner, balancing act on the edge of police violence

• The Minister of the Interior is interviewed on Thursday by the fact-finding mission of the National Assembly on the methods of intervention of the police.
• Christophe Castaner had announced, on June 8, the abandonment of the throttling key, a controversial arresting technique that will no longer be taught in schools.
• The unions criticize the minister for this decision, which they consider taken under pressure from demonstrators denouncing the police violence. 

For several weeks, Christophe Castaner has engaged in a risky balancing act. On the one hand, collectives and associations who are mobilizing in the street to denounce police violence. On the other, police unions who expect the Minister of the Interior to provide support and protection. "He is caught in a vice," analyzes Mathieu Zagrodzki, associate researcher at Cesdip, a CNRS research unit devoted to security issues.

The situation becomes complicated to manage for the first cop in France who is interviewed, this Thursday, by the fact-finding mission of the National Assembly on the methods of intervention of the police. "The Georges Floyd affair in the United States rubbed off on part of French public opinion and he was forced to make concessions [to the groups denouncing police violence]. However, he had always had a soothing, even complacent, speech to the police who, on the whole, supported him, "continues this security specialist.

His statements will be listened to with attention by his troops, some of whom still criticize him for his speech of June 8 on the fight against racism in the police and intervention techniques. "The colleagues were injured," said Linda Kebbab, national delegate for the SGP police-FO union. "His speech gave the impression that the police used certain techniques for racist reasons. He threw us into the pasture while every day we take risks. He doubted the citizens on the integrity of the police. Even if he tried to backtrack, doubt settled, "she continues.

"Less LBD, more turnips"

The police accuse Christophe Castaner in particular of having announced the abandonment of the "strangulation" key, a controversial arrest technique which will no longer be taught in police academies. Linda Kebbab regrets that the Minister of the Interior has "given in to the 20,000 people who demonstrated in Paris" at the call of those close to Adama Traore. "The agents have the impression that he has made concessions to a part of the public opinion which criticizes the police, even hates them", whereas they have been very solicited in recent years, observes Mathieu Zagrodzki.

Again on Tuesday, activists from the environmental movement Extinction Rebellion carried out a punching action "against police violence" in front of the Ministry of the Interior. They chained themselves to the gates of the Hôtel de Beauvau after having unrolled a red banner on which was written: "Less LBD, more turnips". Others spilled false blood on the forecourt in front of the ministry.

The collapse of state authority ... the next time they come in and settle in the minister's office? @CCastaner @NunezLaurent #JeSoutiensLesFDO #SoutienAuxFDO pic.twitter.com/MA6HFSuCpb

The same day, the family of the delivery man Cédric Chouviat directly questioned the Head of State on the techniques of arrest, while several groups of relatives of victims of alleged police violence wrote to Emmanuel Macron asking him for the ban " of three immobilization techniques that suffocate and kill "and the creation of an" independent body "that would replace the IGPN - the police force - to investigate complaints of violence committed by the police. A campaign called "1 million votes against racist and police violence" was launched on the Change.org site which has 16 petitions and more than a million signatures.

A discredited minister

Opposite, the police also mobilize almost every day, throughout the territory. On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, hundreds of officers gathered in front of the Prefecture of Police, in Paris, and threw their handcuffs in protest. The previous night, the police gathered at Place Vendôme, opposite the Ministry of Justice. A rally also took place a few days ago to protest against a fresco against police violence in Stains.

MobilisationNew mobilization of angry police officers who are in front of the Paris Prefecture of Police this evening. They are still more than 150 - 200 police officers. #PoliciersenColere #Police #Paris #policiers #manifpolice #polices pic.twitter.com/Xm10j0kaLs

"It will continue because the discomfort is deep," warns Fabien Vanhemelryck, general secretary of the Alliance union. “It feels like we are putting everyone in the same bag. There are dozens of interventions a day, but we focus on a few without waiting for the investigations to be completed. ” The police, he says, "are fed up with being suspected of everything and nothing, being stigmatized, being presented as racists or fachos".

Police unions are calling on the minister for support. But they also understood that they could take advantage of the situation to advance categorical and material claims. Fabien Vanhemelryck wants the adoption of a "Marshall plan" which would allow the police to modernize, "restore the image of the institution" and "restore confidence to the agents". "The government must send a strong signal to the police," he said.

The trade unions have clearly seen that a "breach has opened" and are trying to rush into it, notes Mathieu Zagrodzki. Even if it means putting pressure on the President of the Republic. "They discredit the minister by wanting to address the head of state directly. He is no longer a strong interlocutor for them, ”believes the researcher.

"Confidence with the minister is broken"

"Today, trust with the minister is broken," confirms Linda Kebbab. If no union is demanding - at least openly - his departure, the question of keeping Christophe Castaner at Place Beauvau seems to be well and truly posed, especially since a cabinet reshuffle should take place soon.

The interested party took the lead in stating, in an interview recently granted to the Parisian , that he wished to "remain Minister of the Interior". Before acknowledging that this decision "did not belong to him". At the slightest misstep, he knows, he risks falling.

Politics

Under pressure over police growls, Castaner confirms removal of the bottleneck

Society

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• Adama Traoré
• George Floyd
• Society
• Police violence
• Ministry of the Interior
• Policeman
• Christophe Castaner
• Police