France develops an “exceptional” operation to prevent riots on Bastille Day

First modification: 07/12/2023 – 22:37

3 min

France shields itself at the gates of the celebration of the 234th anniversary of its historic revolution. The reason is in the context in which the European nation lives. The violent protests led by the death of a young man, who had previously disobeyed the instructions of the authorities, at the hands of the police and the already tense atmosphere that the pension reform imposed by the Government maintained, raise fears of new displays of discontent.

That is why an “exceptional” prevention device is being prepared, according to the EFE news agency. The objective is only one: to combat any source of public disorder in the framework of the celebrations for the storming of the Bastille. The news was released by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.

The mobilization of security forces will be made up of a total of 130,000 gendarmes, in charge of peace of mind in urban and rural periphery areas, and police, who are responsible for urban areas. Of these, some 45,000 will be in service on Thursday and Friday nights.

34,000 firefighters will also be part of the operation. According to Darmanin, this means being one step ahead of the “extreme violence” that affected the country for a week. The special anti-terrorist units are also added and drones and helicopters will be used for the success of the plan to maintain order.

Among the prohibitions for the national holiday, emphasis was placed on the carrying and use of fireworks by individuals. Some 150,000 copies have been confiscated since June 30 and as a precautionary measure several stores dedicated to the sale of these products have been closed.

Despite the tense calm that prevails, riots on similar dates are not a new item on the agenda. The Interior Minister emphasized that last year public disorder left some 600 cars on fire and a group of at least 800 detainees.

Along the same lines, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was resolute in dealing with the issue. “If there are spillovers, we will act with the greatest determination,” said the president from Lithuania, where he participated in the NATO summit.

Far right links riots to immigration

The riots that developed after the death of a minor by a police shot are now the flag of the extreme right to direct attention to migrants. According to politicians, the culprit behind the acts of violence, due to the death of the young man of African descent and other social problems in France, is migration.

In an interview offered to the France-Info radio station and quoted by AP, the leader of the conservatives in the French Senate, Bruno Retailleau, stated that they “know the causes” of events such as those that have occurred since June 27. “Unfortunately for the second, the third generation there is a kind of regression towards their origins, their ethnic origins.“, he said referring to the migrant population.

another time Retailleau I had already expressed one of the ways in which the main party of his group, the Republicans, intends to prevent France from “plunging lastingly into chaos”. “As soon as we want to be firm they say: ‘scandal! The fascists arrive! You are like the National Group.’ We are fed up with being politically correct,” he stressed.

According to the AP news agency, the claims of Bruno Retailleau violates the value of universality in France. Regarded as almost sacred, this concept uniquely recognizes all local citizens, regardless of origin, as French. AP also emphasizes that the politician’s words fractured the so-called “Republican Front”, which unites French parties against the extreme right.

With AP and EFE