- Title: 'We are like yellow vests': French police march for fair work conditions
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: ONE OF DE-FACTO LEADERS OF "YELLOW VEST" MOVEMENT, ERIC DROUET WALKING ON SIDE OF PROTEST WITH SOME SUPPORTERS POLICE PROTESTERS MARCHING AS "YELLOW VEST" COUNTER-PROTESTERS BOO "YELLOW VEST" PROTESTERS ON SIDE OF POLICE PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (French) SANDING WORK SPECIALIST, JACQUES, SAYING: "We don't understand, we're fighting for the same things, for the same reasons. We ourselves work all our lives to have a good retirement. Why do they have a right to protest and not us, I don't understand. This is not equality, this is not freedom. Today, we cannot respect these people who don't respect us. They treat us as if we're worse than nothing." DROUET'S COMPANION AND A "YELLOW VEST" PROTESTER SCUFFLING POLICE PROTESTERS LOOKING ON PROTESTERS CHANTING DROUET AND OTHER "YELLOW VEST" PROTESTERS, ONE HOLDING UP YELLOW VEST ON SIDE OF POLICE PROTEST, SURROUNDED BY RIOT POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALLIANCE POLICE UNION DEPARTMENT SECRETARY FOR CALVADOS, LYDIA BRILLANT, SAYING: "Of course it's a provocation. There is a police demonstration, the 'yellow vests' come, it's a provocation, absolutely. But it's OK, we are used to not responding to provocations because we are professionals." (SOUNDBITE) (French) ONE OF DE-FACTO LEADERS OF "YELLOW VEST" MOVEMENT, ERIC DROUET, SAYING: "It's easy to demonstrate against working conditions, but we demonstrators suffer conditions that are more appalling. It would be good for them to bring it up." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS AT PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE WITH FLAGS
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 15:52
- Keywords: France protests police demonstration march Paris
- Location: OCTOBER 2, 2019
- City: OCTOBER 2, 2019
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA007AZEO4SN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A CLEAN EDIT THAT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDIT 2211-FRANCE-PROTESTS/POLICE-PREVIEW SENT ON OCTOBER 1, 2019, WHICH CONTAINS RECENT IMAGES OF POLICE PROTEST AND FILE OF OFFICERS DURING "YELLOW VEST" DEMONSTRATIONS, AND EDIT 3172-FRANCE-PROTESTS/POLICE, WHICH CONTAINS LIVE-U QUALITY IMAGES OF START OF MARCH
Thousands of police marched in Paris on Wednesday (October 2) in response to growing anti-police sentiment linked to the "yellow vest" protests, a wave of suicides and proposed pension reforms.
Policemen mostly from the Alliance union joined the "March of Anger" decrying poor working conditions and anti-police hostility, which many of them say is on the rise.
Demonstrators marched from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Republique, waving flags and singing the national anthem, also paying tribute to their deceased colleagues.
According to the latest numbers given by police unions, 52 police officers have committed suicide so far in 2019.
The demonstration also comes as French President Emmanuel Macron prepares to launch his ambitious pension reform to converge more than 40 different pension systems into a single model to make it fairer, though some professions, such as the police, say they will lose out.
"We are a bit like the 'yellow vests' of the police. We're both demanding greater purchasing power, better working conditions, a proper retirement plan, to be able to retire in good conditions and in good health," a police union representative from Brittany, Frederic Gallet, said.
About a dozen "yellow vest" protesters, including a de-facto leader who has been arrested for violent acts, staged a counter-protest and booed the police.
The protest also aims to denounce anti-police sentiment, which many officers say encumbered their work.
Officers have been accused by "yellow vest" protesters of exercising excessive force during the sometimes violent demonstrations that took place weekly for months.
(Production: Michaela Cabrera, Clotaire Achi, Antony Paone) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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