For the first time in France, members of the security forces have been found guilty of unjustified use of force in the protests of the „yellow vests“ („Gilets jaunes“).
A Paris court sentenced two officials to suspended sentences yesterday. One of them had beaten a demonstrator at a rally in the capital on May 1 and was given a four-month suspended sentence. A two-month suspended sentence was imposed on the other officer who threw a paving stone at demonstrators.
Clashes again and again
The protests have repeatedly escalated into violent confrontations between security forces and the police. According to an official count, a total of around 2,500 demonstrators and around 1,800 members of the security forces were injured.
The Alliance Secretary-General of the Police Union, Yvan Assioma, described the punishments as „severe“. He said that the behavior of the convicted police officers should be seen “in context”. After months of being involved in the protests, the police were “tired” at the time.
The deployment at the demonstration on May 1st was „particularly difficult“. The police conduct internal investigations into around two dozen cases of alleged excessive police violence during the protests of the „yellow vests“.
