French security forces are accused of a ” lack of restraint in the use of force » « worrying for the rule of law “.
With our correspondent in Geneva, Jeremiah Lance
The criticism does not come from the opposition but from a college of human rights experts, mandated by the UN. In a press release, they ask Paris to completely re-examine its policing practices after the numerous incidents observed in recent months, during the demonstrations against the pension reform.
The seven special rapporteurs explicitly quote the Brav-M motorized brigade, suspected of threatening and beating protesters. They also denounce the management of the protest against the mega-basins in Sainte-Soline. ” France, point out the experts, is the only European country to use tear gas and disencirclement grenades during law enforcement operations. “If they say they are aware that demonstrators have been violent, “ the number of injured and the seriousness of the violence reported are alarming “.
Another grievance: the use of rhetoric criminalizing from environmentalists on behalf of the government. Direct reference to the use of the word ” ecoterrorism by the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin. This is not the first time that these experts have pointed the finger at France on its policing policy. The reviews were almost the same in 2019, at the time of the yellow vests crisis.