French Prison Guards Protesting, Blocking Access to Jails - Trade Union

11:26 GMT, 6 March 2019

PARIS (Sputnik) - Prison guards on Wednesday blocked access to jails across France, protesting an attack by a possibly radicalized inmate at Conde-sur-Sarthe prison, which left two guards seriously wounded, according to the SNP FO trade union.

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"We must react to this situation! It is inconceivable to continue like this. The ministry should stop turning a deaf ear to the demands of the guards," the trade union said in a message on Facebook.

The SNP FO also published multiple pictures on Facebook showing guards blocking the entrances to dozens of prisons across France and building barricades.

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This comes after on Tuesday, inmate Michael Chiolo attacked two prison guards with a knife. After the stabbing, Chiolo and his wife, who came to visit him, barricaded themselves in a room used for family visits, threatening to use an explosive belt he reportedly was wearing.

Chiolo was later detained in a police operation, while his wife died as a result. French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet described the attack as a "terrorist incident, while the SNP FO trade union called on the French prison guards to take action and protest "aggression and insecurity" in jails.

French media reported on Tuesday about another attack on a prison guard in France's Chateau-Thierry commune, but said it was not related to the Conde-sur-Sarthe incident.