Be sensible - says Macron

I’m sorry when anyone gets hurt… but I do agree with Macron…

Why do folk still insist on confronting the services of law and order… this GJ stuff has gone on far too long.

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I agree too. Why do some people think they are indestructible, protected no doubt doubt by their cloak of “righteousness”. As you can tell, I don’t have much sympathy and I hope the family lose their case for compensation. If something blows up out of the blue and you get caught up in it, that is one thing, if you go and put yourself in the way, that is another.

Rant over.

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It seems that the lady was unaware that the manifestation was taking place in an unauthorised area (?)…

I am astonished, since it had been made abundantly clear by the Prefecture et al…

IMO it would be common sense for anyone wishing to manifest… to find out what is going on, where… and what is authorised or forbidden… before attending :zipper_mouth_face: in fact… best idea… stay at home :roll_eyes: !!!

No knowledge of the law is no defence.
Was she totally on her own, did she not speak to any other fellow demonstrators?
It seems highly unlikely.

Accident waiting to happen.

A news report recently tried to blame, in part at least, the rise in accidents / road deaths in the Var (?) on the GJ’s. It seems that folks are reverting to their “old ways” & driving like fucking idiots again because some speed cameras were damaged. In the same report it was also mentioned that people were still using their phones whilst driving ; & on a particularly dangerous stretch of road.
We’ve had a speed camera for 10 years maybe on a piece of road nearby that has over time been shot at, burnt, painted & re-painted (lenses), shot at again, & has finally been wrapped in plastic after the last attack. All this of course before the protests started.
Also, since the movement began, I personally have not felt the urge to phone people whilst driving…so I think the link may be tenuous.

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:rofl::rofl: not everything can be blamed on the GJ… quite agree… but the mindset that sees these folk turning out every Saturday to intimidate, rampage and destroy… is possibly similar to that of those folk who DO use the phone while driving etc… :thinking:

The thing that struck me most was that the comments of one female driver stating that we’d been “massacrés” by the GJ’s, seemed misplaced & out of context in the report.
France, as long as I can remember, has had a reputation for its driving ability, or lack of…you should visit the Tarn one day to check that out…
Also, call me old fashioned, but I think violence on either side, be it by the public, or the police is unacceptable…& I think Macron & other “leaders” should address that more often than they appear to.
Violence begets violence, from whichever side it originates.

Bob… How would you like the Police/whoever to act… when they are faced with a mob who want to go in a certain direction… even though the mob know that they have been forbidden to go there… ???

How are the Police/whoever supposed to perform their duty of protecting an area/building (whatever)… when faced with such a mob… ???

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Always a difficult question Stella.
The mob generally stems from the “wishes” of a few individuals.
The police are armed more & more now ; does this solve the problem or exacerbate it ? Likewise, the rise in violent crime…do the perpetrators see a need to arm themselves more frequently ?
I see just a vicious circle, that won’t change any time soon.
I agree that when the GJ protest came to the point where it became clear it was no longer about them, & it had been taken over by more sinister motives, it should have been stopped, for everyone’s benefit.
The police said they recognised certain activists, but nothing was done.
In my opinion, that’s why things are the way they are now.

I don’t know much about French policing, but I do know quite a bit about UK Policing ,where the police are expected to tackle violence and aggression mostly ‘unarmed ‘ apart from a baton, spray and occasionally taser It is very easy indeed to sit at home and pontificate about how policing should be carried out. It is very different when you are facing an angry mob, who would have no qualms about hurting you

I don’t really see what I’m saying as pontificating.
“Society” wants / needs protecting from criminality.
The world needs police.
But which comes first the feeling of being oppressed by a government ; or the need of a government to exercise control (violent or otherwise) over its people ?
That’s a question that will probably never have one simple answer.
Also, I’m not saying how policing should be carried out; simply that a solution should be found to the violence, without incurring yet more.
Maybe the title of the OP should clarify whether it’s "sensible " as in not stupid; or “sensible”, as in sensitive…presumably to the wishes / needs of others… be they police or civilians

Pontificating wasn’t really aimed at you Bob it was a general reflection

I realised that Nellie…my response was also a general reflection & I’m sure we are not the only ones to hold our respective views

Driving here in France, where I passed my driving test by the way, radar or no radar I try to keep to the limits… of course I like most people have been flashed … at the day in a company car lol lol :joy:, paid my fine no points, since the new law, I really do be more careful, although got flashed by a mobile radar last week due to a regular road’ unfortunately mobile radar on silly road works … never got the fine though ? Still wondering why? ?
Went down same road 2 weeks later and the mobile radar is completely burned out… maybe that happened after my flash ? Lol hopefully or should I say that lol

Radars do keep the speed limits down , however there Ill always be errors

On the A8 from roquebrune sur argens to Cannes the limit changes so often from 110 to 130. Just for information to all …in the 06 Area the maximum limit is 110, in the Var 83 it changes from 130 to 110 all of the time… this is where I kept getting flashed …

Stella , I cannot comment on the GJ as I do think they have done some good for different projects

Totally totally totally against the violence and Ill never accept that we need violence to make a point… I am on the shelf listening to both sides and understanding both sides … it’s very sad though that a beautiful country has to have this violence every week end … I absolutely agree with you there . But petrol is slightly rising…, the daily shopping can be a nightmare… the. OST of living is rising without salaries being increased.

Something has to be done somewhere