World

Police Officers Gather on Place de l'Étoile to Protest Castaner's Remarks - Videos

Several police demonstrations have taken place since the minister of interior said on Monday that the technique of seizing the neck of a suspect during an arrest must be abandoned and vowed to suspend officers on racism allegations.
Sputnik

Dozens of police officers have gathered on Place de l'Étoile in Paris to show their disapproval of Cristophe Castaner's recent remarks.

Officers were seen throwing their handcuffs on the ground in a symbolic gesture and singing France's national anthem La Marseillaise in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

Castaner's speech delivered on Monday drew the ire of police, who accused the authorities of attaching the label of racist to them. On Friday morning, officers staged a protest on Paris' Champs Elysees to reject the accusations of racism as well as what they describe as the hate campaign against them sparked by the George Floyd rallies.

Police demonstrations in France were initiated by Yves Lefebvre, the general secretary of the Unite SGP-Police union, who said that what the police have been through since Monday is "unacceptable" and called on French officers to "symbolically put down their handcuffs".

Discuss