VIDEO - Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux: gatherings of "angry" police officers

A few hundred police gathered in Paris, Nantes or Bordeaux on Friday to express their "fed up" after President Macron's remarks on the police, we learned from concordant sources.

In Bordeaux, 200 police officers gathered in front of the prefecture, a police source told AFP.

In Nantes, some 300 police officers mobilized, in front of the prefecture and in front of the Departmental Directorate of Public Security (DDSP), according to the same source.

Protesters calmly distributed leaflets, the source added.

A demonstration at Place du Trocadéro in Paris

In the evening, a gathering of police, flashing lights and sirens on, also took place in Paris, place du Trocadéro.

Several dozen police officers were visible in images posted on social networks.

Asked by AFP, the Paris police headquarters did not respond.

A mobilization criticized by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of La France Insoumise: "And now, after Nantes and Caen, the factious police officers at #Trocadero", he tweeted.

"Power no longer dominates the police. This is the Castaner / Darmanin balance sheet," he added.

And now, after Nantes and Caen, the factious police officers at #Trocadero.

Power no longer dominates the police.

Here is the Castaner / Darmanin balance sheet.

pic.twitter.com/jbD9KJeB2s

- Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) December 11, 2020

"14 departments" were affected by these gatherings

Demonstrations also took place Friday in Dijon, Toulouse or Bobigny, according to Alliance.

In total, "14 departments" were affected by these gatherings, said the police source.

The police officers mobilized are "fed up", are "angry at being targeted and denigrated", Fabien Vanhemelryck, Alliance secretary general, told AFP, adding that Emmanuel Macron's words had been "the last straw". 

Macron admits that there was "violence by the police"

The Head of State had ruled on December 4 on the online media Brut "unsustainable" that the police checks target more young people whose skin "is not white".

He also admitted that there was "violence by police officers", an expression he said he preferred to that of "police violence".

After this interview, Emmanuel Macron announced on December 8 the holding of a "Security Beauvau" in January, in order to "improve the conditions of exercise" of the police and "consolidate" their links with the French.

An announcement welcomed by the Unity-SGP-FO union, but cautiously by Alliance (the majority among the peacekeepers) and Synergie Officiers.

"We are offered a new seminar when the conditions are not met and above all nothing has been settled on the protection of the police and social measures", regretted Friday Mr. Vanhemelryck of Alliance.

Earlier in the week, police demonstrations had already taken place, notably in Nantes on Thursday, or in Paris on Monday evening.