The police force “was not undersized”, defended Saturday evening the Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez, who pointed out the responsibility of the “ultra-left” in the violent actions which ignited France. Around 550,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in France, including 110,000 in Paris, during the day of mobilization against the “high cost of living” and around 400 people arrested, “mostly adults”.
Speaking to the press, the Minister of the Interior, who counted 110 parades on Saturday, argued that on the sidelines of the processions, "groups of rioters had formed - several hundred, sometimes several thousand depending on the location - at the very clear instigation of the ultra-left". Laurent Nuñez also estimated that “opportunity offenders” had taken advantage “to attack businesses” and “loot” them.
According to him, “extremely violent” individuals, most of them hooded and equipped with projectiles and fireworks, sought to attack law enforcement, businesses and public buildings. The minister notably mentioned attempted attacks against public buildings in Lille, Calais and Limoges, as well as actions directed against prefectures in Bordeaux and Angers. He also denounced damage and looting committed in Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Rouen, Rennes, Toulouse, Pau and even Valence.
He attacked Jean-Luc Mélenchon, LFI presidential candidate, and “a certain number of parliamentarians from France Insoumise”, who “accused the internal security forces […] of having caused these processions to degenerate”. “I would obviously like to disagree. Without the internal security forces today, there would have been no procession, there would have been no parade. It’s true in Paris and it’s true in many cities,” he thundered.
Because, continued Laurent Nuñez, the police “were able to isolate these thugs and ensure that the processions took place more or less normally”. The minister was indignant: “When I see Mr. Mélenchon tweeting adding photos of processions which took place joyfully, he forgets to say that it is thanks to the internal security forces, thanks to their commitment, thanks to the impact they had in going after the thugs.”
Violence from the start of the rallies
Another particularity of this day: violence broke out at the start of the rallies, sometimes even before the departure of the processions, while rioters traditionally tend to get involved during demonstrations. “For me, it reveals their determination and the level of violence that was theirs,” explained the minister. The violent groups then fragmented into highly mobile units, capable of carrying out simultaneous attacks in different locations, which were particularly difficult for law enforcement to contain.
Laurent Nuñez rejected any accusation of the undersizing of the police. And particularly in Marseille. “This morning, 2,000 thugs arrived very early,” he said. Faced with this massive arrival, the authorities, according to Laurent Nuñez, anticipated the taking into service of two additional CRS companies and deployed Centaure armored vehicles. The minister also reported “wild processions” which, at the time of his speech, were still heading towards “places of power”.
Firmly condemning the violence which took place on the sidelines of the processions, he said “seeing it as a call from a certain number of far-left groups who very clearly called for revolt, citing the NPA. “Everyone must assume their responsibilities,” continued the Minister of the Interior, who listed the various attacks on public buildings that occurred during the day, notably in Marseille, Bordeaux and Limoges and the numerous lootings.
