Why are police in Marseille refusing to go to work?
Police officers in the southern French city of Marseille are phoning in sick en masse, while officers in other towns are putting themselves on limited duties.
What is happening?
Several hundred Marseille police officers have gone on sick leave in what their union described as an act of protest.
Meanwhile the Unité SGP Police union has called on officers across France to put themselves under "code 562" - which means that they only respond to emergency and essential missions.
Affaire de Marseille : 562 sur tout le territoire national ! pic.twitter.com/kiOTziAXRM
— UNITÉ SGP POLICE (@UNITESGPPOLICE) July 21, 2023
Both of these are effectively strikes - gendarmes are members of the military and are therefore banned from going on strike, but they can take part in lesser industrial actions such as 'work to rule' or placing themselves on limited duties, or signing themselves off on sick leave.
READ ALSO: Gendarmes to 'policiers' - who does what in the French police force?
It's not clear how many officers across France have joined the 'code 562' action, but since Friday several police stations in Marseille have been closed to the public, while others have been turning away people on non-emergency business such as wanting to report a burglary.
Why are they on strike?
Strike action is usually over pay and conditions, but this is different - the officers are protesting over a case involving one of their colleagues in Marseille.
During the recent riots that rocked France, a Marseille man named as Hedi, 21, says he was beaten by four or five men he identified as police during unrest in the city over the death of Nahel M. earlier this month.
He says he was also hit in the head by a blast ball fired by police. He underwent operations and has now returned home but risks losing the sight in one eye, according to his lawyer.
An investigation was launched by the police watchdog and four police officers were charged last week over the incident, one of whom was remanded in custody ahead of trial.
The fact that one of the officers is in custody, rather than released on bail pending trial, is what has provoked the quasi-strike actions.
What do their bosses say?
Police chiefs don't support the industrial action, but several of them say they do support the officers in their anger over the custody of the accused officer.
"Knowing that he is in prison is stopping me from sleeping," said France's national police chief Frederic Veaux in an interview with the Le Parisien newspaper published on Monday.
"In general, I believe that ahead of a possible trial, a police officer should not be in prison, even if he may have committed serious faults or errors in the course of his work," he added.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez tweeted that he shared the stance of Veaux.
The decision on whether to charge the officers and whether to offer them bail before the trial was taken - as it is for every criminal suspect - by the juge d'instruction, an independent member of the judiciary who considers the evidence for the case as well as other factors such as whether a suspect is a flight risk.
Their reasons for deciding on custody or bail in advance of a case are not usually published.
This kinda sounds like the police are saying they should be above the law?
It does a bit, a point that has not gone unnoticed in France.
The left-wing daily Libération on Tuesday had as its front page headline Police - au-dessus des lois? (Police above the law?).
Police : au-dessus des lois ?
C'est la une de @Libe ce mardi
Lire : https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/Va8RfuOA32
— Libération (@libe) July 24, 2023
Likewise, most of the criticism of the police statements and actions have come from politicians on the left.
In a joint statement, the Nupes alliance of leftist political parties called for "such behaviour, which directly calls into question the independence of the judiciary, [to be] punished".
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the hard left La France Insoumise party, wrote in his blog: "The government and its allies in the so-called 'republican arc' must get their act together and break with their complacency towards the factious and violent police organisations".
While Parti Socialiste leader Olivier Faure tweeted: "Support of the police does not mean placing them above the law".
What has contributed to the anger is that French police are often seen as behaving with impunity, even in cases of assault or death. Most successful prosecutions of police officers have occurred when video evidence exists - which in several cases has shown not only an assault but that police had lied about what happened.
What does the president say?
Emmanuel Macron, during his TV interview on Monday, was asked about this issue.
Characteristically, he tried to see both sides of the argument and said that he understood the "emotion" of the police officers, especially since 900 police and gendarmes were injured during the recent rioting.
But he said that no, police cannot be above the law and the matter is now one for the independent judiciary.
So what now?
As far as the assault case for the Marseille officers goes, this is now within the judicial system so politicians cannot interfere.
Like most democracies, France places clear separation between the work of the courts and politics, and it would be a very bad look for any politician to be seen to try and interfere with the judicial process of the case.
Whether the industrial action from officers continues remains to be seen.
Comments
See Also
What is happening?
Several hundred Marseille police officers have gone on sick leave in what their union described as an act of protest.
Meanwhile the Unité SGP Police union has called on officers across France to put themselves under "code 562" - which means that they only respond to emergency and essential missions.
Affaire de Marseille : 562 sur tout le territoire national ! pic.twitter.com/kiOTziAXRM
— UNITÉ SGP POLICE (@UNITESGPPOLICE) July 21, 2023
Both of these are effectively strikes - gendarmes are members of the military and are therefore banned from going on strike, but they can take part in lesser industrial actions such as 'work to rule' or placing themselves on limited duties, or signing themselves off on sick leave.
READ ALSO: Gendarmes to 'policiers' - who does what in the French police force?
It's not clear how many officers across France have joined the 'code 562' action, but since Friday several police stations in Marseille have been closed to the public, while others have been turning away people on non-emergency business such as wanting to report a burglary.
Why are they on strike?
Strike action is usually over pay and conditions, but this is different - the officers are protesting over a case involving one of their colleagues in Marseille.
During the recent riots that rocked France, a Marseille man named as Hedi, 21, says he was beaten by four or five men he identified as police during unrest in the city over the death of Nahel M. earlier this month.
He says he was also hit in the head by a blast ball fired by police. He underwent operations and has now returned home but risks losing the sight in one eye, according to his lawyer.
An investigation was launched by the police watchdog and four police officers were charged last week over the incident, one of whom was remanded in custody ahead of trial.
The fact that one of the officers is in custody, rather than released on bail pending trial, is what has provoked the quasi-strike actions.
What do their bosses say?
Police chiefs don't support the industrial action, but several of them say they do support the officers in their anger over the custody of the accused officer.
"Knowing that he is in prison is stopping me from sleeping," said France's national police chief Frederic Veaux in an interview with the Le Parisien newspaper published on Monday.
"In general, I believe that ahead of a possible trial, a police officer should not be in prison, even if he may have committed serious faults or errors in the course of his work," he added.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez tweeted that he shared the stance of Veaux.
The decision on whether to charge the officers and whether to offer them bail before the trial was taken - as it is for every criminal suspect - by the juge d'instruction, an independent member of the judiciary who considers the evidence for the case as well as other factors such as whether a suspect is a flight risk.
Their reasons for deciding on custody or bail in advance of a case are not usually published.
This kinda sounds like the police are saying they should be above the law?
It does a bit, a point that has not gone unnoticed in France.
The left-wing daily Libération on Tuesday had as its front page headline Police - au-dessus des lois? (Police above the law?).
Police : au-dessus des lois ?
— Libération (@libe) July 24, 2023
C'est la une de @Libe ce mardi
Lire : https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/Va8RfuOA32
Likewise, most of the criticism of the police statements and actions have come from politicians on the left.
In a joint statement, the Nupes alliance of leftist political parties called for "such behaviour, which directly calls into question the independence of the judiciary, [to be] punished".
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the hard left La France Insoumise party, wrote in his blog: "The government and its allies in the so-called 'republican arc' must get their act together and break with their complacency towards the factious and violent police organisations".
While Parti Socialiste leader Olivier Faure tweeted: "Support of the police does not mean placing them above the law".
What has contributed to the anger is that French police are often seen as behaving with impunity, even in cases of assault or death. Most successful prosecutions of police officers have occurred when video evidence exists - which in several cases has shown not only an assault but that police had lied about what happened.
What does the president say?
Emmanuel Macron, during his TV interview on Monday, was asked about this issue.
Characteristically, he tried to see both sides of the argument and said that he understood the "emotion" of the police officers, especially since 900 police and gendarmes were injured during the recent rioting.
But he said that no, police cannot be above the law and the matter is now one for the independent judiciary.
So what now?
As far as the assault case for the Marseille officers goes, this is now within the judicial system so politicians cannot interfere.
Like most democracies, France places clear separation between the work of the courts and politics, and it would be a very bad look for any politician to be seen to try and interfere with the judicial process of the case.
Whether the industrial action from officers continues remains to be seen.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.