Riot police go on hunger strike

RIOT police from the CRS have gone on hunger strike over planned closures of two companies at Lyon and Marseille and fears that up to 30 more could be shut in plans to cut police numbers.

Despite being banned from striking, Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité officers joined in other protests across the country:

• Marseille CRS officers, who had been posted to Paris, have been refusing to eat meals at their base at Rungis, Val-de-Marne, since Saturday;
• Almost the whole company of CRS at Perpignan called in sick before they were due to provide security at the Arles-PSG football match;
• Officers from Saint-Laurent-du-Var, who were called in to replace the Perpignan CRS at the game, decided to go on hunger strike as soon as the match was over;
• About 50 officers from another Marseille company called in sick;
• Strasbourg CRS officers refused lunch;
• The Bergerac CRS base was blockaded by protesting officers and elected councillors as officers were setting out to Bordeaux for the match against Nice;
• Last Wednesday, 70 per cent of the CRS officers at Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon in the Rhône called in sick.

Interior minister Brice Hortefeux confirmed they were planning changes as part of the reduction of the state budget, but denied that six other CRS companies would be closed.

However, newspaper La Dépeche said Mr Hortefeux’s office had revealed that seven squadrons of gendarmes were also in the firing line.

The Unsa-Police union said it feared 30 companies would be closed in the long term and CGT-Police official Bruno Lavisse said their protests were “a radical solution, but we do not have a choice”.

Mr Hortefeux intends to give details of his plans, which he has said would not affect the capabilities of the CRS, at a meeting on Wednesday.

Photo: Frédéric Boutard - Fotolia.com