Paris (AFP)

New controversy between Jean-Luc Melenchon and the government: Christophe Castaner on Wednesday asked the leader of the LFI to apologize after denouncing the "barbaric" crackdown on the police during the demonstrations, the person replying that his resignation "would be more useful".

On videos shot during the demonstration against pension reform Tuesday in Paris, Mr. Mélenchon talks with protesters who say they were victims of police violence during the March for the climate Saturday.

"They slaughtered us on Saturday at close range," said one of them. "Everyone told me that you did not even have time to start, they shot you," says the leader of France Insoumise (LFI).

"There are plenty of wounded," wounded "serious head," says the protester, we do not see the image. "They are barbarians, be careful, because they do not stop now," continues Mr. Mélenchon, before calling the protesters to caution and calm: "Do not add, it's not the It's hard to come back with one eye less ... (...) They attack everyone, they are more and more violent, you have to be careful. "

"Saturday, if I had been there, they kill me, they wait for the pretext and then it's me who cries to see that they put you off," adds Mr. Mélenchon.

These remarks immediately made the Minister of the Interior react.

"Unacceptable insult to our forces of the order mobilized, every day, to protect the French, risking their life. @JLMelenchon owes them the respect, and hence of the excuses", tweeted Wednesday morning Christophe Castaner.

"The only manifesto in the world repressed, an outburst of disproportionate violence," replied Mr. Mélenchon, also on Twitter.

Last Saturday, the March for the climate was enamelled of violence and degradations, and the police used their batons, teargas, and fired with the launcher of ball of defense (LBD).

A total of 158 people were placed in custody, including about twenty referred for possible prosecution on Sunday, according to the prosecution.

- "Ineligible" -

"After 24 lame, 5 mutilated and 2 dead, @CCastaner owes an apology to the French, his resignation would be more useful (...)", added Mr. Mélenchon.

This controversy comes a few days after the highly publicized trial of the leader of LFI in Bobigny (Seine-Saint-Denis) for incidents that sparked a search of his party's headquarters in October 2018, where he had insulted a magistrate and a police officer . Three months of suspended imprisonment were required against Mr. Mélenchon, who denounced a "political trial".

On Wednesday, Secretary of State for the Interior Laurent Nuñez also condemned the "unspeakable" remarks of Mr. Mélenchon.

The police unions Alliance and Unsa denounced the words "inadmissible" and asked Mr. Castaner to file a complaint against Mr. Mélenchon.

The police, regularly accused of violence, have been blamed for their interventions in recent months, especially during the demonstrations of "yellow vests" that sometimes gave rise to scenes of violence.

Nearly 2,500 demonstrators "yellow vests" have been injured since the beginning of this unprecedented social movement. Some seriously, including 24 shot by LBD and five who had their hands torn off, according to independent journalists and groups of wounded. Beauvau refers to some 1,800 wounded in the security forces.

LFI and "yellow vests" also estimate the police responsible for two deaths in a year.

An octogenarian, Zineb Redouane, died in December 2018 after being hit by a tear gas grenade on the sidelines of demonstrations of "yellow vest" in Marseille. Steve Maia Caniço, 24, disappeared in June in Nantes during a concert of the Music Festival on the banks of the Loire where the police intervened with tear gas. His body was found in the river five weeks later.

© 2019 AFP