French police march in Paris for 'concrete action' against poor working conditions

Record ID: 1434852

  • Title: French police march in Paris for 'concrete action' against poor working conditions
  • Date: 2nd October 2019
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MANNEQUIN DRESSED IN POLICE UNIFORM WITH ROPE AROUND NECK HANGING FROM POST WITH SHIRT READING (French): "STOP THE SUICIDES" VARIOUS OF POLICE PROTESTERS MARCHING IN STREET, UNIFORMED POLICE ON DUTY STANDING BY
  • Embargoed: 16th October 2019 13:01
  • Keywords: France protests police demonstration march Paris
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001AZENNEV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT 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
    Thousands of French police officers rallied together on Wednesday (October 2) in Paris for a "March of Anger" decrying poor working conditions and anti-police hostility, which many of them say is on the rise.
    In the first police strike in France since 2001, demonstrators marched from Place de la Bastille square to Place de la Republique square in response to growing anti-police sentiment linked to the 'yellow vest' protests, a wave of suicides and proposed pension reforms.
    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.
    "It's unacceptable that we work until the age of 65 and run after thieves until we're 65. All we want is respect, consideration, and that beyond words, we see concrete actions," said Frederic Lagache, a representative of a police union.
    The protest also aims to denounce anti-police sentiment, which has become a "burden" for some officers, UNSA Police Union National Secretary Thomas Toussaint said.
    Officers have been accused by "yellow vest" protesters of exercising excessive force during the sometimes violent demonstrations that took place weekly for months.
    (Production: Antony Paone, Ardee Napolitano)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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