- Title: French police stage fifth night of protest, Hollande pledges meeting
- Date: 22nd October 2016
- Summary: POLICE OFFICER WEARING SING READING (French): "ANGRY POLICE OFFICERS" VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS PROTESTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) POLICE OFFICER WITH COVERED FACE WHO WISHED NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED, SAYING: "I wish that fear switches camps, which means that now criminals consider police officers as targets while being certain that the police will not respond, and even go back by following orders. So it has to change, legitimate defence has to be modified so that police officers can defend themselves. Regarding municipal police, mayors also have to take their responsibilities which means that all the municipal police officers can wear a gun."
- Embargoed: 6th November 2016 00:53
- Keywords: France police protest Notre-Dame Paris
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0035534KLJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French police staged protests in Paris and other cities for a fifth night on Friday (October 21), in a movement showing no sign of abating despite President Francois Hollande's government attempts to defuse tensions just months before a presidential election.
Police say they are no longer sufficiently equipped even to defend themselves and have staged five nights of unauthorised demonstrations. Some 3,000 of them took to the streets on Thursday night (October 20), they said.
Hundreds of officers protested on Friday night in front of Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris, just opposite the central police headquarters. Other protests took place in Calais, Lille, Toulon and other cities.
Speaking from a European Council meeting in Brussels, Hollande said he would meet police representatives at his office early next week to hear their grievances.
Police discontent was fuelled by an incident in a town near Paris earlier this month, where a gang petrol-bombed four police officers in a patrol car.
The car was stationed at a crossroads notorious for smash-and-grab robberies on motorists. Police say the gang tried to prevent the officers from getting out of the burning vehicle. Two of the four were seriously injured and one suffered life-threatening burns.
Unions say a surge in criminal gang activity and militant attacks has put extra strains on police.
Thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed to guard airports, train stations and other sites in response to Islamist attacks that have killed more than 230 people in France in the past two years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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