Dozens of French policemen demonstrated on Saturday night at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to express their anger at announcements by Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
During the surprise demonstration, which occurred just before midnight, the protesters sang the Marseillaise and kept their vehicles' flashing lights on.
The police protest followed a new day of demonstrations against police violence, and came on the eve of a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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On Friday, police unions had staged a protest down the Champs-Elysées to express their anger at Castaner’s announcements, particularly a ban on the use of the chokeholds during arrests. They also called on Macron to receive them. Castaner received the unions on Friday.
According to the police representatives, Castaner admitted during the meeting that he had made a “silly mistake” and a “slip” of the tongue when he announced on Monday that police officers would be suspended in cases of “justified suspicion” of racism.
Earlier on Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated against police violence in France.
The Brussels Times
